Kantai Collection X The Last Ship: On Stanger Tide
by Necro-Pen
Summary: USS Nathan James was the last hope: to find the cure for the red-flu outbreak. Countries after countries became Failed State & Lawless Land because of this global pandemic. Ocean seemed to be the most secure place in the world, if not for unknown ships related to the past roaming around with girls operator. What were their objective? helping humanity or destroying it completely?
1. Arashio Destroyer

I watched the Last Ship like Marathon, when I heard there is interesting series base on naval setting. I finished up season 1-3 in one go.

For my review, it's entertaining. While the show portrayed the invinsible overrated American navy and insult foreign forces mainly the Russian, British, and Chinese (Hell Yeah! American save the day again...), the production is great! Greater than some movie I have ever watched!

At the same time, I'm Kancolle fan too. I think most people may have heard of popular browser game about the WWII warship modified into girls.

I got this idea a few days ago like, Hey! while I had been waiting the Last Ship season 4 to air this year, why not create some crossover between these 2 franchises. It might get along well as they both have warship element.

Hope you all enjoy. ^ ^

* * *

" **Give me a break…** "

The short phrase coming from a person who was rubbing his own temples from a massive sudden headache, he tried to summarize the situation so far in his private room before he rested for the day.

Captain Thomas (Tom/Tommy) Chandler of the USS Nathan James Destroyer wasn't in a very good mood at all; it all started with the USS Nathan James' weapon test mission in an extreme environment, which marked in the Antarctica, got forcefully extended by the higher up with unreasonable cause, he got instructed to wait until Dr. Rachel Scott finished her objective even though he and his crew had already completed their main objective. He suspected something was up with this side-mission, self-proclaim virus related project, of his ship freeloaders but decided to ignore it. He wasn't able to break the protocol even he didn't like it. On the bright side, spending a few more days/weeks in this freezing land that this ship had spent 4 months for the operation already wouldn't hurt.

However, the extension period was where the hell started to break loose.

If somebody in this ship wished for some excitement to happen in this boring place, then that wish had been granted…..

Tom sounded the General Quarter immediately after his ship got contact with 5 unknown attack helicopters.

The vessel and personnel on board got a few minor wound, but they could brought down all hostile targets. He got a clue lead to the enemy from the dying soldier which happened to be Russian of all people!

Next, he learned that his mission was a facade to cover up the real objective: the cure for the red-flu outbreak of 2 virologists. By the time he heard of this, the red-flu was probably spreading all over the world right now and thousands of people die daily and the rate was increasing in double.

Suddenly, it appeared that his ship carried out the most fatal mission she ever had since in service….No…the saying should be the most critical mission for the entire human race!

However, the more serious issue than the pandemic virus right now was the resupply point, where should it be in this apocalypse? This ship had food to last for a few weeks at most.

If it wasn't complicated enough, the Nathan James just got contact with unknown vessel which could be perceived by eyes only as it had complete stealth ability to hide from ship surface radar. From his visual, he couldn't identify which ship she is, she was smaller compared to modern destroyer standard, but he doubt she was a frigate either. Then, she drifted aimlessly until she collided with the iceberg. And she was stuck there like a ghost ship.

As curious as Tom was, he knew that he has more important things to worry about, so he let her be there. After he unveiled what actually happened back home to his crew, he ordered to keep some distance from the unknown ship and ordered some personnel for a look out. He told the rest to rest for the day, they would decide their next action tomorrow. The crews were uncertain of the future but they still listened to the captain.

* * *

Aboard the mysterious vessel, there was no sign of life except for one sleeping girl on the bridge.

The girl was around 14-15 years old, the beginning of womanhood blossom age, about 5 feet and a few inches tall, with long-brown-hair. The nationality of hers was a question to be figured out, but at least she looked Asian….to be more specific….East Asian (and a beautiful one at that).

She wore a long sleeve white shirt under black pinafore, with black pantyhose, and black casual shoes. The flashlight resembling a crime prevention buzzer attached to the left straps seemed to be the only accessory she had.

With the extreme environment outside the ship, inside was like gigantic size refrigerator. It was supposed to be impossible for mammal like human to stay alive in this freezer with unsuitable garment, yet there she was….sleeping soundly on the cold metal floor.

The sunrise, indicated the start of new day, slowly startled the girl to wake up which cause her to reveal the light brown eyes within.

'Where am I?'

She looked astonish at the sign of Iceberg area this ship was on, then another question popped up.

'Who am I?'

This question was like a push-start button of a machine to start running; tons of memory and information flooded in her mind and installed themselves autonomously in sections of her memory right off the bat.

" _ **AHHHHHH!**_ " She screamed, she swore that the sensation made her like better dying than living there.

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At last, the struggle for the pain was subsided. She breathed the sight of relieve.

"Fuuuu- that was immense."

Now, she knew who she is.

The relaxation time was cut short when her surface radar picked up contact of an approaching small boat on the vessel's Five, she ran out to her side deck to check. She saw there were 5 men coming which one of them was using binocular screening the ship.

"Ara- I'm in trouble, ain't I?

The assault rifles of the boarding party alarmed the girl's instinct of potential danger, lucky for her that she retreated back before she was spotted on.

* * *

"Sir! That ship just appeared on the radar!?"

"Valture Team, be advised, that ship suddenly appear on our radar over"

"Copy that" Curious Tom looked at the ship his group was approaching, he noticed nothing of the change.

"It's strange that it just appear on our ship radar. By the way Lt. Burk, can you identify which ship she is?" The captain asked his assigned look out.

"Negative sir, her design isn't belonged to any modern destroyer or frigate- Oh! Hell-"

"What's up Lieutenant?"

"You won't believe this Captain, but I spotted the small Rising Sun Flag swaying up there"

"What's the Jap's doing here? Do you think her mission is the same as us, I mean the cure solution thing, Master Chief?" Tom's tone was half-serious.

"We'll find out soon enough, sir"

The boarding party, except Lt. Franklin who watched the boat, climbed up the front deck near the twin-gun mount.

"By the look of it, she looked like modernized world-war-two destroyer…with the heaviest armor I've ever seen these days."

Tom commented got the attention of the rest. Sure enough, this destroyer was fitted with VLS (something unavailable back at the time) and ammunition belt feed system of the heavy machine gun (something which isn't popular with Japanese back there), the metal structure put Nathan James to shame, like she could withstand more damage 5-10 times of the James' limit.

"Master Chief! You go with Lt. Green and survey all her exterior, I'll go with Lt. Burk to explore inside her hull. Now, you're Lion team"

"Aye, sir!"

* * *

Capt. Chandler and Lt. Burk were exploring start from bridge, inside was dark as not a single light-bulb was turned on, the pair had to use flash lights to search room by room. Most of the area in the ship had been designed differently from any Navy: there were only small rooms for cafeteria, sleeping quarter, and other activities, the lefts were store with Ship gun ammo, torpedoes, missiles, furnace(?),Lathe machine (?), etc. while the standard CIC was still present with advance system from the look of it. Now they were in the engine room.

"Commander, do you see what I'm seeing?" Carlton Burk mentioned about the reactor.

"Yes, I do. This ship runs on nuclear-power, such a remodeling. I doubt she's more than what she's looked now including those VLS. Don't know what this DDGN has in store to surprise us." Tom tried to calm his subordinate's nervousness with his half-joking, still it was ineffective.

After some times, they reach the last section: the vessel armory.

"Well, what do we have here?"

Tom's statement wasn't a question; rather it was a way to gain Burk's attention on the weapon.

"This is different from how we normally arrange the armory sir"

Burk was right; on the USS Nathan James, there were primary weapon (mainly the M4 model), secondary weapon (mainly the SIG P-226 Navy), and other accessories, such as night vision, RDX explosive, grenade launcher, etc. Nevertheless, this ship's armory was like a mini-war-museum. Varieties of weapons from old age up to recent and ammunition were store inside, most military wouldn't arrange their armory like this because there would be so many resupply problems from different types of cartridge, Burk swore that he also saw a rocket launcher inside.

Tom frowned when he saw that there are blank places on some of the weapon storage platform which could be assumed that somebody grabbed them.

" **Lion team be advised, we might got company!** " He warned other on the team, and then radioed his ship for support.

"Nathan James, this is Valture team. Bring the ship closer to this ship, keep distance about 100 yards. We might got unknown contact on this ship; prepare to engage I repeat, prepare to engage, over"

* * *

Back to the Nathan James, the sound of General Quarters was completely heard by the crew, and every one hurried to man respective station as fast as one was able to.

"All engines ahead FULL!"

* * *

'British?'

The girl quietly followed the pair after they walked out of the engine room. Other than the two present she followed, she also felt where the other two were on this ship. Additionally, her radar pick up another vessel nearby but she ignored her for now.

As she just awoke, it seemed she had no complete control over this ship yet, just some functions.

She was about 10 meters away from them in the ship corridor, she decided to ask them of their real objective for boarding this ship. If succeed, she was going to demand them to leave her ship.

She was willing to give them a benefit of doubt, so she picked up the weapon that look less threatening.

The Mauser kar98k was pointed to the blue-camouflage suit (Tom), but her index finger rested on the trigger guard.

" **I don't know who you are, but I suggest you leave this ship now.** "

Both Navies alerted for the third present beside them. When the light fell on her, they surprised to see a gorgeous Asian girl aimed bolt-action rifle at them.

" **Hold your fire! I don't know who you are, but we mean you no harm.** " Tom, as experienced officer, tried to understand the situation, he calmed down a lot when he saw that the girl wasn't ready to fire…at least now.

"Then, stated who you are and your intention of boarding my ship." Both parties didn't put down their weapon.

That got another question for Tom, 'her ship? _**How can this girl have the ownership of Freaking Warship!**_ Is this a joke?'. Put that aside the ridiculous concern, he introduced himself.

"I'm Tom Chandler, Commanding Officer of USS Nathan James of the United States Navy. We're here to survey the identity of this ship and useful information regards the red flu. And you?"

'American'

"I don't know much the situation now or what happened to the world (or how I even end up here!?). If you want to refer to me, you can call me Arashio. By the way, this ship is the forth of Asashio-class Nuclear-power Guild-missile Destroyer of the Imperial Japan Navy: Arashio." She told half lied, she was aware that she is the Ship, but she have to release some truth to test their reaction or response with more informative material for her.

It was like she was jumped from WWII era to the present with more new weapons fitted on her with updated information bumped into her head. It would be sure to take time digesting the situation she was in.

' _ **Holy Shit! The DDGN stuff just get REAL!**_ ' exclaimed the commander in his mind. He wanted to laugh so badly but the Mexican stand-off didn't allow him to do.

Arashio decided to lower her weapon first and signaled the American to follow her outside.

"Can we talk outside, please? (You're not welcome here)" Her tone was polite even though she hid her discomfort.

That being said, the navy acknowledged the message which was an order than a request. He wanted to ask her another further question before going out like 'How can you survive in this cold with just your plain shirt and pinafore?' Seeing that she was far away already, this question could wait.

"Be advised Nathan James, Lion team, Valture team made contact with the company and following contact out, over" He radioed the other members.

* * *

On the Nathan James, all ship guns are online, plus the additional sniper in position for less lethal fire power.

XO watched the other vessel with worry, the stress of waiting was eating him until-

"Be advised Nathan James, Lion team, Valture team made contact with the company and following contact out, over"

'So that ship does have people aboard'

"CIC, what's your status?"

"We're ready sir"

"Sniper, how are you?"

"I get good visual up here sir, you can call the shot any time." The sharp shooter replied from the front deck of Nathan James. He was in prone position with bi-pod to support 7.62x51 cm. caliber AWM.

"Wait for my order"

"Aye, sir"

* * *

CMC Russell Jeter and Lt. Danny Green were surprised to see a pretty girl came out on the deck even they knew the group would be coming out with someone, it wasn't a surprise for Arashio though, she always knew how many people aboard her ship.

A prankish idea lightened, she acted as she never knew they were here by hastened her standing position.

Russ and Danny didn't stand-by, they raise their M4A1 too.

Unfortunately, painful penalty was awaiting her for the fact that they had destroyer's support in a distance away which she completely forgot.

* * *

 **"Sir, the contact's hostile, permission to fire?!** "

" _ **Sniper, Fire!**_ " XO Mike barked to the radio.

 _ **Bang!**_

* * *

The men in front of her hadn't fire, may be in the back-

A 7.62 NATO bullet struck her in the left chest, made her squeeze the Kar98 by reaction. Lucky for men that Mauser round missed them.

'Ara –That hurt!'

" _ **NO!**_ "

The time the prank started, Tom wasn't in sight. When panic Tom rushed to the scene, Arashio was falling.

But she wasn't dead from the first blood.

Her right hand dropped the rifle while her left hand was drawing a conceal pistol from her thigh holster.

'I'll go on a rampage now'

USP Compact in her left hand fired 5 consecutive shots in lying position without proper aim; Master Chief got 3 and Green got 2, all of flying balls ended up on their bulletproof vest so they were left to deal with the brunt.

Green opposed the urge to lay down to counter fire a few shots which shook Arashio a little on her midsection before she was fleeing to the other side of her ship for cover.

" _ **Ah!**_ " Arashio, who forgot about the unidentified sniper support, got reminded by another shot nailed her in the flank.

From the damage she sustained, it was unbelievable to still alive for normal people standard in the boarding team's mind. She almost completed the turn if not for a group of coming hot jacketed coppers to her legs that result in her balance lost.

Arashio grunted in pain from her ram against her own deck fence, funny wasn't it?

' **I'll die at this rate** '

The pain was increasing from more holes she got, she felt quite angry and fear that she triggered all the left round without hitting anyone more due to speedy poor aim.

 _ **Click!**_

Finally, the ammo ran dry. She leaned on the fence, huffed, at the same time she faced with the incoming cautious US navy.

" **Are you alright Lt. Green, Master Chief?** " Tom hurried to check his staff condition, Lt. Burk covered Tom's back eyeing the lying girl firing-ready.

The mentioned both were recovering from the impact, they could hardly speak thus thumbed up was another way of positive response.

"How are you still alive?" Tom relaxed after realizing that Arashio was no longer a threat.

"Geez, look at the state I'm in." She had the time to look at herself at last at the end of her struggle. Blood continued bleeding from many wounds on her body, noted that it wasn't as nasty as it usually was.

"But it's fine. It's a little cooler this way, Ufufufufu." She was babbling random stuff to ease her mind, but the boarding party perceived it as a sign of Halucination from losing large amount of blood.

" **Lt. Burk! Inform the XO to prepare life-saving operation NOW!** We can't lose her, she may a clue or further information that benefit us"

" **Aye, Sir!** "

Tom gave light slaps on the girl cheeks.

Her body temperature rose from the embarrassment in direct contact with the opposite gender (even through the thick gloves). Well, he wasn't a bad looking man from roughly evaluation. It drove her to tease him more~

"Excuse me, I think I'll take my leave for just a little" She shut her eyes and dropped her head.

" _ **Hey! Stay with me, Damn it!**_ "

Chandler urgently held her up bridal style.

"Quick! We have to move her fast, she mayn't last much longer!"

* * *

On the boat back to Nathan James, Arashio body was laid with utmost case, she had been conscious during the trip so she could hear all of them chatting.

"Try to stop her bleeding"

"Her endurance is ridiculous, no one simply took those caliber in vital parts and still breathing"

"Not to mention that she hasn't been freezing to dead in that skinny clothe."

Etc.

* * *

When they arrived, Mike informed that the operation equipment was ready so Commander ordered Lt. Green to bring the girl to meet with Dr. Rios in the sick bay, and helped him perform whatever the doctor needed him to do.

Danny acted as instructed, the sight of Danny carrying (fake) unconscious Arashio gained attention of the entire crew who saw this: mostly curiosity of why a normal girl with unsuitable clothing could be found here alive with fresh shots' wounds.

* * *

In his private office, he was discussing with Slattery about their next course of action.

"Seeing that our government keeps us in the dark about what have been going on at home, we can't trust them for support. First priority is the fuel, if we operate at trail shaft, we should just make it to the unmanned refueling station off the coast of France."

"How do we know they have fuel to get us across the Atlantic?" Mike didn't agree with an idea.

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"We don't" Chaptain emotionlessly replied.

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Mike knew that look in the eyes, Tom won't change his mind.

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"What will we tell the crew?"

"Everything?"

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"Include that mysterious girl you met on that ship?-"

The intercom rang.

"A moment" Tom gestured that he wanted to answer the phone first.

Mike nodded that he would wait.

"This is the Chaptain"

"Chaptain! Ms. Arashio is conscious, she demand to talk to you" Said Ensign Rios, Doctor in training.

"Alright, I'm coming!"

" **Right about time!** " Tom exclaimed, earned a little curious glare from his XO.

"The girl's alive and kicking, she want to see me so you follow me to the sick bay"

"Aye"

* * *

The situation in the sick bay made Tom paled, he imagined a wound girl resting on a bed, not this Danny got restricted by medical hoses lying on the ground, Rios was set on an iron-sight of stolen SIG-P226 Navy on her left hand. The supposed patient had been sitting on a chair with amusing smile.

"Oh~ Captain Chandler, please have a seat over there. You gentleman there, you can join if you want."

"He is my XO, Mike Slattery, what do you say if I said Mike don't want to join?" Tom wanted to exclude Mike out of this for worst case.

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Arashio quieted a few moment, she sighed.

"You're no fun, captain. If it makes me look less intimidating, I'll disarm myself and have a peaceful talk with both of you."

She unleashed the magazine and pulled the slide to eject the chambered round out, the ammo-less weapon was slowly place near the original owner (Danny).

Tom and Mike were clueless of her action. However, her aura kept them from looking down on her as an amateur, they felt something great beyond the girl petite body: the bigger metallic present with stench of ocean, blood, and gun powder.

"Mike will also stay. Mike, come in and close the hatch" The girl's generosity was effective.

Everyone prompt to start a little greeting which including free-Danny, still Tom insisted he never told anyone of what happened, the latter noted the order (with doubt in mind).

He noticed Arashio seemed fine like she never got shot, but that wasn't the point he want to know right now.

"To begin with Ms. Arashio, who really are you and what is your mission in the Antarctica?"

"As I introduced, I'm named after Arashio Destroyer of IJN (even they don't use this navy name nowadays). I know every part of that ship like my backyard, I guess I'm some kind of ship single-operator. I'm not sure myself why I was out there. To tell you the truth, the first memory of my life (this life only) is when I woke up on the bride and then met you on my ship. Oh, don't give me that look. I'm human as you can see but on how much extent? A lady needs to have some secret, so I left it to your assumption."

As much as he wanted to press on her being, he didn't want to rush thing to go south.

" **Are you certain that no one sent you here on a secret mission or something?** " Nathan James' captain certainly didn't buy any of that..

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She giggled.

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"Let me ask you, captain. When we met on my ship, what is the Red-flu you mentioned?"

A brief story of a pandemic (Chandler's version) was verbally transferred to the little destroyer, she gasped

"Oh God! I never ever know what's happening right now…...what you intend to do next?"

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"I will go refueling my ship at France...I suggest you coming with me on this"

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Silence….

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"Ufufu~ I'm freelance now, so it's a wonderful thing to do. I agree. But I have one condition"

"What?"

"I'm coming with you, but **I want to be on my ship, not your ship** " That stunned Tom.

" **Are you for real about that ship single-operator!?** "

" **Do I look like I'm Joking Captain Chandler?** " Arashio's stern gazed was able to made Tom slightly backed down.

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"Alright, let see what you can do. I will return you to the Arashio, **Ms.** **Arashio** "

"Aye, sir~" She playfully saluted.

* * *

"Tom, is this wise to let that Japs roaming around?"

"I suppose. If what she claim is true, I understand her unsettling on board another ship."

"I talk with Rios, she's not normal! She-"

" _ **Mike!**_ What's the most important for us right now; **help Dr, Scott to find the cure or investigate some strange random girl back story?** The World is DYING, we can ignore her for now if you isn't a threat."

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"OK, I got you."

* * *

"It's best to be back." She groped a lot of things on the bridge, and stopped at the helm. She radioed.

"Nathan James, this is Arashio. my boilers are already hot, ready to go, request destination coordinate over~"

"Arashio, marked coordinate ******************* over"

"I'm going!" She shouted alone happily.

When the Arashio vessel kept closing on the cruising James, she admired the sheer size of James that exceeded her. This DDG-151 could fit in cruiser class in her old time easily, she smirked when she looked around, she noticed the lighter armor and lighter armament on the American vessel: a single mount 5-inch, a 20 mm. phalanx, VLS cells, smaller torpedoes tubes, etc. At least she had more guns, more VLS cells, bigger torpedoes, and depth charge (which she quite firmly assured that nobody may use this weapon of old age anymore), it painted her image a bigger threat.

Finally, DDGN Arashio of IJN sailed alongside DDG-151 of USN. She perceived the crew's interest in her ship, a bit later She walked out to the edge prow, mimicked Titanic pose and gave a friendly taunt through her loud-speaker.

"Don't weight me down, Nathan James! I've high expectation of you~"

The bridge personnel on another vessel glanced to Arashio and swapped over to Chandler with question face.

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'That Cheeky Brat...' Tom sighted, he got himself a weird travelling buddy.

* * *

In the temporary lab of Nathan James (one of copter hangers), Quincy Tophet reported something through satellite telephone in Russian to unknown contact when Dr. Scott wasn't present in the lab.

* * *

On another end of that line resided on the RFS Vyerni, a Kirov-class Battlecruiser.

"Fleet Admiral, we get the idea where Nathan James is heading" Reported the man in his 50's to his superior in Russian.

"Set course to there, all engines two third" came a monotone sound of a 4.5 feet tall light blue eyes child. She had long silver hair with white cap on her head which had the red-colour star circled hammer & sickle sign. She wore white long sleeve shirt, black belt, black skirt, black thighhighs, brown casual shoes. The most eye-catching is the naval unbuttoned overcoat which explained that she held the highest authority on this ship(?)

* * *

I think somebody actually know who this Loli Russian is.

For those who don't know, she's Verniy from Kancolle, and the geezer is Rus-! Opps! It's too soon to reveal.

See you next time Xb


	2. Girl with the Battlecruiser

Flashback

Arashio was laid down on operation bed.

"She's something, the blood is stopped, the wounds aren't nasty as it should be, and her pulse isn't supposed to be this stable. Who is she?"

"She's Arashio. Come on doc! Get the bullets out of her already!" Danny emphasized what they supposed to do to treat her.

Rios was back on his sense, he suddenly removed her belt, started unbutton her pinafore and loosen it downward her feet. The unprepared mountain warfare unit avoided instantly when her exposed juicy thighs and see-through pantyhose reflected on his eyes.

"What's the matter?" His action didn't go unnoticed.

"Nothing" Danny glanced back to Arashio, and this time Rios saw him turned away clearly.

Right now, the doctor was unbuttoning a girl's shirt. Result in revealing more and more of her ivory-tone skin underneath even though it was bloody; the cleavage of two small peaks on her chest under a holed bra, which size around C-D cup was a very magnetic sign for men.

Danny was red all over the face now; he thought nothing of sort on that destroyer as it was under shoot out more than she was a good looking girl. The girl in her current state of lesser bloody garment was able to drive men crazy for her: her sex appeal that was boost by black lace lingerie was so overwhelming!

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Rios realized what actually bothered Danny, he smiled knowing what the other's up to.

"Relax Green, it's normal to remove her clothes, otherwise we can't see her wounds clearly." For his career, his eyes had seen fair share of naked women, this was nothing to excite about.

 **Then, a girl's hands gripped men's hand, made them startled.**

"I think that is enough gentlemen; I'm alright, you don't have to care for my wounds. I can manage it."

The pretended sleeping patient was actually woken all the time, before Danny was aware of what would be happened to him, the girl release Rios's hand and grappled some medical equipment nearby, Danny was tied with some medical hoses and pushed on the ground by smaller size girl. Everything happened in a breath with Rios's brain still in process of what happened.

She took out Danny's side arm, unlocked the safe, and waist aimed to stunned Rios.

"Dortor, please call Commander Chandler to meet me here"

Rios was new to this, he never ever encountered this kind of patient before. Arashio saw he doing nothing, thus she helped him to draft the message.

"Just tell him that I want to see him or whatever."

Rios nodded and pick up the intercom.

"Captain! Ms. Arashio is conscious, she demand to talk to you"

"He's coming"

"Now look the other way, I can't let him see me like this." She put on her ruined clothes.

End of Flashback

* * *

"Captain, the crew's assembled" Master Chief reported from the copter parking area at the back of Nathan James.

" _ **Attention!**_ "

"Continue from the outbreak issue most of you might hear earlier, I want to announce officially that we're on independent mission to help Dr. Scott to find the cure of this red-flu. We will transmit radio contact regularly to gather lucky survival like us….for example, **that ship alongside us**."

At the end of captains' sentence, most crew turned head to look at the said ship while others just glanced. The focus fell on the Arashio Destroyer, and lastly on Arashio who happened to enjoy the sea breeze on her starboard side. She smiled before giving a few hand waves.

"The whole prior incident is a misunderstanding. She, Destroyer Arashio, isn't an enemy. She's just a destroyer from JMSDF who lost contact with her homeland; she's in the same boat as us. We're lucky that at least we've clear goal of what we've to do from the last order of our government. I won't pry on her and her mission as it can cause international affair, but I want you to know one thing, she'll be our ally during our mission. **Treat her with respect, and don't ask her any SENSITIVE QUESTION.** That's all."

'Nicely done! Tom'

Mike admitted, they couldn't stop their crew suspicious thought about the ship and the girl. Tom, Mike, and Master Chief were coming to the solution by bringing in possibility of conflict between countries to shot down any question of crew regard Arashio. This was the most possible excuse they could think of to zip up their crew mouth.

* * *

"Any station this net, this is Nathan James transmitting in blind on FLEET SAT one, two, and three. Over"

"Is any body out there?"

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"Nathan James, I hear you loud and clear, and we're right here. Over" This response nearly made the radio man jump in happiness; anybody alive was alright really!...(Really?)

* * *

"Captain's on the bridge"

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"Sir, we're 100 miles off the coast of France and still no contact with French Naval Command" Alisha Granderson reported.

"We've got extra watch and guns at the ready"

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"Is any of you able to reach home?"

Chandler cursed himself in asking this, the bridge's mood got dark straight away.

"XO on the bridge"

Slattery hurried to meet Chandler, his troubled expression told Chandler that it wasn't anything good.

"I got through to home….My boy's gone"

"Oh, Mike!"

"Christine is up in Deer Park, some sort of safe zone, for now. The girls are with her."

"Why don't you take a brea-"

"No, no, I'm not gonna sit around my cabin staring at the wall. This is where I need to be"

Tom accepted his XO's spirit.

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" _ **Sir! We got transmission coming.**_ "

" **Pass it to the bridge!** CIC, anything on radar?"

"Yes, sir. Unidentified ship just appear on the radar at the edge of our six."

* * *

The unknown contact appeared on Arashio radar as well, she jumped over her ship mast to have a better look behind her ship. It would take some times before the contact appear within eyesight.

"Ara~Ara, I wonder who will we meet."

* * *

"Nathan James, do you read me? Over" The voice belonged to the girl that sounded younger than Arashio.

Tom and Mike met eye-to-eye, did they encountered another warship owned by a girl again? Ridiculous event sure happened after another.

"Nathan James reads you loud and clear! This is Captain Chandler of the US Navy, please identify yourself and your ship. Over"

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"This is Fleet Admiral Verniy of the Russian Navy on board Battlecruiser RFS Vyerni. I request you to stop your propellers to wait for us. Over"

The bridge was dead silent, so shock of what they encountered this time, _**a Fleet Admiral Little Girl and a Freaking Battlecruiser!**_ What was going with this crazy world?

As far as his gathered information went from the leftover of US government, the Russian no longer had a proper government. Their forces separated themselves independently and acted under their warlord, was this girl one of them? Then this case wasn't like Arashio as her name was different with her ship…..or might be….she changed her name to cover herself?

"Negative, state your intention immediately. Over"

"I heard you have the primordial strain of the virus that is killing the world, and you have 2 virologists trying to find the cure of this thing. My ship happens to have one biological scientist on board. I believe this is my generous offer to add my man on the team. The more the merrier, sounds good?"

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"Sorry, Fleet Admiral. But I don't know what you're talking about, and the thing is, I don't take order from you."

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James's bridge could hear faint sound of small laugh in the beginning of new transmission.

"Haha..Our navy and country no longer exist, as both of us are the survivors of those remnant forces, your higher authority isn't anyone but me, FLEET ADMIRAL, Commander."

She paused a little like she was taunting Tom.

" **If you don't do as I said, I'll toast you alive atop a Mushroom Cloud.** I think you know what this ship is capable of. "

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The long silence made Verniy doubted the Nathan James' CO died by her **10,000 Fahrenheit** threat.

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"Fleet admiral Verniy."

"Yes? I'm listening."

"Do you know what you're saying? You will die along with us if you use that nuke."

"I assure you, I'm not the type to spit nonsense. Now, I'm going to ask you one more time. Yes or No?

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"I suggest we meet somewhere face-to-face, negotiate a peaceful solution to our problem."

'So you want to play a game? I'll grant you one'

"With pleasure"

Verniy accepted his proposal.

"Where do you suggest we meet: your ship, my ship, or another ship near you? Call me back when you're ready."

'Don't make me bored, Captain'

* * *

"Ma'am, I disagree with this cooperation. We can force them to send Dr. Scott along with her research to us, and let them go or kill them. Now everyone is fallen and we will be the only ruler of the new world!"

"What nonsense are you talking about, Admiral Ruskov? What's the point of dominating a dead world? Do you think we, one ship alone, can accomplish such task as setting up a new world?"

She glared at him which scared off Ruskov. He felt like he was talking to intimidating figure like Brezhnev: the giant-size ex-general secretary of the Communist party.

"If we fake cooperating with them and succeed, we can steal all the credit from this when they're not aware of our true goal. American will lose their might they once have and our footing will be enhanced to surpass them internationally. Every functioning government can be revived, and they will bow their head to us as True Savior. Don't you think this way is nicer?"

Ruskov what to argue, but most of his high-tier subordinates chose their side, with Verniy from the look of it.

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Ruskov was pressured to eat his own words, it was very humiliating for him.

' **You may be our savior once, kid. But I'll not let you have your way.** '

* * *

"Fleet Admiral Verniy, huh? Never heard of her before"

"Mike, I left the bride to you. I'm gonna be back in a minute." Tom quickly walked out.

"Hey! Wait" Tom was gone.

* * *

Tom questioned Dr. Scott in the lap.

"Who else has been working on the vaccine?"

"What, in the world? Everyone!"

"What about the Russian? Were they close?"

She sighed in little frustration.

"I mean, nobody was making any real progress so far and I hate to say it, but they're probably all dead."

"If somebody had the primordial strain of the virus, the stuff you found in the ice, could they make a vaccine?" Tom pushed.

"If they had the right equipment and someone qualified to run it – but they'd be months behind us."

"At the rate you and Mr. Tophet are working on, will it be faster if we have one more scientist?"

"I can't promise it'll be faster, but we need all the help we can get to hasten it as soon as possible."

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"Thanks"

* * *

Tom was back on the bridge, he weighted his only option, cooperation with the Russian. He didn't know what their agenda is, but if this could accelerate the complete vaccine then it was worth the risk.

However, nothing was wrong to prepare for the worst. He radioed to his allied ship.

"Arashio"

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"Yes?"

"Do your ship have anything to sink that battlecruiser down in one go?"

While Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer wasn't a force to be underestimated, she had the right to fear when facing off against battlecruiser even her opponent was a little outdated. Excluding nuclear warhead, the battlecruiser outweighed her by sheer projectile weapons and armor, fighting mentioned ship toe-to-toe was suicide. Her new-gen-torpedo & missile inflicted little damage to the thick armor of old day battlecruiser because the destructive power was reduced due to modern thinner armor vessel.

"Let's see….That's it! I doubt any ship can still afloat from a direct hit salvo of Type 93 Torpedo."

"Well...It's not American weapon so could you specify what it is?"

"The US navy used to fear this big fish; its' nickname is Long-lance or Oxygen Torpedo, ring a bell?"

Now, the bridge's class lesson from the old day repeated in mind of how deadly it is. No wonder she could say that because even the battleship armor had to fear it.

"Make them ready to launch"

"Wa-Wait….do you want me to hit her at this distance? It's out of effective range."

"I will make her come closer; when the time comes, DON'T MISS!"

"Aye..Aye.."

Arashio ended the contact.

"What's your plan Tom?" Mike asked.

"We will set a meeting on this ship, and we will lure that ship closer for Arashio to sink her in case of emergency."

Tom gave his final answer for earlier called.

"I choose Nathan James for a meeting. Is my ship OK for you?"

"Excellent. Be prepared, I'm coming with some of my men."

"One last thing…." Chandler tried to keep his true intention.

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"Speak" The Russian head inquired.

"Can you move your ship closer, I want to admire one of the strongest ship of Russian Navy?"

"You got guts asking this! Very well, I'll berth this ship alongside yours. Thus, scan her to your heart content" Smiley responded from the Loli-Admiral, her ship would gain more advantage if the fight broke out point blank.

"That goes beyond expected! She's either brave or crazy enough to come into point blank herself." Tom smiled, Lady Luck blessed him today.

The bridge crew swallowed hard, imagined point-blank torpedo explosion.

"Mike, announce to everyone to put on hazmat suit, we don't know whether they're infected or not"

"Aye"

* * *

The intimidated massive structure of Vyerni towered Nathan James in her shadow; Arashio was on standby at the other side (torpedoes' tubes purposefully turn to a big ship), all three anchored to stabilized vessels.

Temporary table with chairs were set up next to the naval 5-inch turret of the USN destroyer. The captains of American and Russian vessels both scanned the opposite side sitting across the table, 4 officers of each side stayed behind their leader at attention. The Russian and American crew on both ships was in position. Arashio made a bold move by coming on Nathan James, arm-men ignored her completely as they had the Russian to worry about, and she was one of the minority people who looked really calm despite the Mini-Cold War going on; the other are Tom, Verniy, Mike, Russ, and some Russian behind Verniy.

Verniy took a look overall the ship roughly, her eyes end up on a single person who stood out of place from Destroyer's crew, which was no one other than Arashio.

Their eyes met, and they coincidently had mutual understanding that they might know each other at some point from the old day, but couldn't remember exactly who.

Chandler noticed that Verniy stared at Arashio longer than usual, were they acquaintance of sort? He noted that these 2 girls may be related. Verniy realized Tom paying attention to her so she began what she came here to do.

"You can put that annoying mask away, we aren't sick."

"Better safe than sorry, Rios! Test her blood."

Doctor Rios took blood sample from Verniy and tested it with portable test equipment. The result wasn't positive or negative which confused Rios.

"I can't tell, sir. Her blood test is fail."

"Try again"

Verniy annoyed..

"I told you I'm not sick. Just relax and put that ugly suit away, will you? If we're sick, we won't be able to meet you here" After finished sentence, she slowly pulled out a Makarov PM from her coat and placed table-aim at Chandler. This reaction made her a target from more than 10 assault rifles.

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'I'm in open-air, it should be safe enough just a conversation across the table. Another point is her claim seemed legit'

Chandler put off the mask.

"Let me introduce myself again, Captain. I'm Fleet Admiral Verniy of Ex-Russian Navy."

"I'm Thomas Chandler, Captain of USS Nathan James of United States Navy. With all due respect Fleet Admiral, but you look like a primary school girl to me than a sailor." Tom frankly commented. Even the child-soldier story he heard was just a private lowest rank, so this little girl held the highest rank sounded very ridiculous to him no matter how many times it was mentioned.

She smiled a little, it must look cute if not for the confrontation around her.

"Look can be deceiving, would you mind if I just call you Tom?"

"No, I don't mind. Your rank exceeds me after all" Tom sounded a little sarcastic.

"Relax, naval rank doesn't matter to me in this conversation so you can just speak my name normally."

Verniy slowly picked up cigarette with Zippo Russia USSR Lighter, just a touch of orange flame and it ready for smocking. The sight of little girl smoking didn't sit quite well with anyone.

"Don't worry, I may look like this but I'm actually overage. This is the symptom of Dwarfism."

"How old are you exactly?" Tom enquired deeper.

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"It's rude to ask for a lady's age, but I think I can forgive you for once. I was born in Thirties (first life), so I left the calculation to you." After this proclamation, Nathan James got electroded, nobody breathed for seconds.

'Jesus! I'm dealing with LOLI OLD Lady!?'

BIG Question mark lighted up over his head. Tom had small pieces of knowledge about this symptom; her anatomy was short and small, but should her skin be that smooth and youthful?

"Ahem…I think we beat around the push far enough for an introduction. So-what's you answer?" Verniy stern attitude returned.

"I want to know you more before I agree on this (forced) joint operation. First, we got attacked in Antarctica by a Russian. Were they under your order?"

"They're my men. At first, we just want to kidnap your scientist to make the vaccine for us only. But I change my mind when I saw our failure from the mission. Not only none of them came back alive, they wasted our limited resources by sending copters to be destroyed for nothing. You are good!" Verniy upset from poor skill subordinates and praised her foe at the same time.

"So instead of risking more casualties, I'm looking forward to seek your cooperation on this. The dead stay dead, I won't complain or talk about it anymore."

"How do you even know that we have the whole cure project going on?"

"That's easy, we have spy on your ship to update us on your ship status which that guy happened to be one of the main key man for this project."

Chandler brain processed quickly.

"Tophet!"

"Exactly! Come on, don't think badly of him. Ruskov hold his family hostage so he doesn't have a choice."

Tom widened eyes.

"By Ruskov, you mean Admiral Konstantin Nikolajewitsch Ruskov?"

"Correct, do you know him?" Verniy interest slight peaked up.

"I don't know him personally, he's just a celebrity for modern naval warfare. By the way, what's your story may I ask?"

"That's story for another time, Tom." Verniy finalized that they should back to the main topic.

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"Ok, how can I be sure that your scientist isn't fake?"

"Because he's the only one who modifies his genes to adapt with the virus, and he survives. You can see him for yourself on my ship, I can't bring him here because he himself is a very contagious carrier from what he have done. You can come aboard my ship with your scientists; I can lead you the way."

"Let me talk with them for a bit. Mike, please take care of her"

"Take your time, Captain. I'll be staying here until you check everything you need to confirm" She mockingly saluted.

* * *

"Captain! What's going on?" Scott was confused.

Tom had told her of Vyerni related things.

"I'll be brief; the Russian have the scientist I mentioned earlier, they claim that this man make himself a carrier by his modified genes. And more important thing, Tophet is their spy that's why they know where we're going all the time.

"What! How come?"

"Now they force us to work with them, I know everything looks shady but I want to make sure that they aren't bluffing us."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Can either you or Tophet prove that the man isn't a fake biologist, from just talking?"

"Yes, we can"

"Alright, you stay on this ship. I think Tophet will want to come with my team to prove that"

* * *

"Tom! You can't be serious, let me go aboard Vyerni in your place" XO tried to keep Tom on USN Ship.

"I agree with XO, it's too risky than necessary" Master Chief supported.

"Vyerni's commanders are willing to stay on our ship during our survey, so we should response in kind in exchanging the same level of authorities." Chandler reasoned.

"Do you believe her?! It can be a made up to lure us to a trap!" His reason was still not enough to convinced Slattery.

"I know your concern Mike, but I believe you at least buy that. She's no ordinary girl, I feel like I'm talking to a first-class veteran who get through many battles and alive, I think that applies to you too."

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"There's no way to convince you not to go."

"You should know me that well." He smiled while Mike sighed heavily.

"If anything goes wrong, signal Arashio to sink that ship, I already briefed her."

"Hope it doesn't come down to that."

He met with the other board team member near the negotiation table: Danny, Carlton, Eric, Quincy, and 4 more personnel. Quincy looked more nervous than the rest.

"Enjoy the tour Captain, I may be do the same if your XO allow" Verniy sent him off Nathan James.

* * *

The secret about Quincy's family hostage was busted, after the little girl and Mrs. Tophet quickly embraced him. Quincy summarized short version of his story as why he was a spy to the team which gained suspecting glare from James' crew. The one who led them was Ruskov. He displeased that Dr. Scott wasn't coming but never said anything. He left for the bridge.

After interrogation with heavy technical terms, Quincy confirmed that the biological scientist, Niels Sorenson, was a real deal. Everything seemed fine until the Russian prohibited them from exit the room which Niels had set up his biohazard area.

"What's the meaning of this, Admiral Ruskov?" Tom questioned Ruskov who brought a dozen of armed guard to confine them.

" **It's time I take back my ship, Commander.** You'll be a great bargain!"

'Shit! A Treason at a time like this?!.' Now, Captain Chandler screwed up big time.

* * *

Battle station siren rang throughout RFS Vyerni, this confused everyone on the DDG-151 including Verniy and her loyal subordinates. Verniy realized the situation wasn't looking good, she tucked her Makarov PM into its' own place when all attention rested on the Vyerni.

"Attention USS Nathan James, you must bring Dr. Scott to our ship along with her research and the virus strain, otherwise you won't get out of here alive. You call kill of that little girl for all I care, but I'm sure that Commander Schendler has value to you."

Mike and Verniy cursed with different reaction: vividly for the former and internally for the latter.

"As fellow survival of the new world, I'm generous enough to let you sail the sea as you please after this (you aren't worth my precious bullets). I'll give you an hour to decide, I expect good news."

" _ **You Russian Asshole!**_ " Mike barked, his presented crew had complete negative view about the negotiated Russian team now.

'I'll punish you, Ruskov.' This was Verniy Top Priority. She stood up, the American all promptly aimed ready to kill her once order.

" _ **You're not going anywhere off this ship!**_ "

Verniy calculated the possibility to get out of this alive(?), she must get back to Vyerni and brought down her ship rebel. The Nathan James' crew was agitated so much that Verniy thought she couldn't reason with them now. She needed to do everything to prevent this crisis from escalating.

'Forgive me comrades, your sacrifice will not be in vain'

"Comrades! I need to get Vyerni back from that Betrayer, I need your help in dealing with American!"

The child navy dashed off with all her might, if anyone paid attention to where she applied her legs' pressure, he/she would notice the ship deck was bent.

" _ **Fire!**_ " The supposed commander of enemy ship was fleeing, like hell he would let her gone.

" _ **For Mother Russia!.!.!.!**_ "

A gun fight blazed; Verniy launched herself dive-jump from destroyer's deck into the blue sea below, her followed subordinates didn't make it alive true to her thought.

The American confronted crew suffered some wounds but not lethal, the Acting Captain was very angry that he couldn't stop the girl, who achieved her objective in escaping from his ship in which she unintentionally left her floating white hat as a souvenir.

He wanted to signal Arashio to blast that ship down with the heavy-weight torpedoes, but he couldn't have done it because Chandler and the team were still on that old & ugly ship.

Arashio saw the whole event, she sounded worry for the retreated Fleer Admiral.

"Will you be alright?"

* * *

The mentioned fleet admiral was crawling up Vyerni's anchore, she would look fine if not for a trail of red-deep-colour blood mix in with dropping water from her wet body. Verniy gritted her teeth in irritation of a wound, she didn't leave the destroyer unscratched as she took a single NATO 5.56 x 45 mm. in a liver.

' **Just you wait there, Ruskov. I'm coming for you!** '


	3. Night Cruiser

I can't update my story weekly as I intended, there are many loads coming to me. orz

However, I'll keep on going.

If I decide to pause, I'd let you know...(I'm joking)

Let's continue where we left off.

* * *

US XO set up an urgent war-room to get out of this situation.

XO, Master Chief, Chief Engineer, Navigators, TAO were discussing seriously in a meeting room while there were 2 extra people watched in depress (Dr. Scott) and amusement (Arashio).

"There isn't much time left, I suggest we send out stealth team to board that ship to rescue our captain."

"XO, how can we do that? They will notice our boat and kill us on sight…..Unless the team has to dive there?" Master Chief reconfirmed XO's intention.

"We will do everything to bring our men back and blast that bastard away; Master Chief, you're in charge of preparing infiltration team, Gator, plot the shortest course to reach France, TAO, prepare all weapons online, and Chief Engineer, prepare the engine for long-peroid flank speed."

 **"Aye, aye!"** They went forth to their work.

"What about me? **My Torps are very hot in the tubes now~** " Arashio rubbed hands, awaited order to fire torpedoes with predatory smile.

"Your turn come last, girl." He gulped, unable to believe such intimidating aura from a girl who's considered his daughter age.

* * *

"Sir, we have cleared resistance within the ship"

Vyerni's crew was down to 30%, Verniy had some ridiculous motivation to sway the crew to her side a lot.

"Good work, it's a shame that girl blinded their belief. Russian is the only suitable race on earth! We'll seize our area all over the world once the cure is complete."

"Check on the Yankee. If they cause the ruckus, do whatever you want but do not kill them."

"Aye, sir"

After instructed, Ruskov continued his day dreaming a bit more before order something to expedite the USN.

"The time is near Nathan James, I'm willing to attack you like this Jap's ship if you don't come to decision sooner." He radioed.

"Call a shot on that little destroyer, their time's coming up." He thought the US won't take any action seeing the destroyer belongs to the Japanese from clearly rising-sun flag swaying. He was afraid to harm the USN ship directly as Dr. Scott was aboard her, but he could harm another ship as bluff.

Little did he know that this warning shot would go so big for him to handle.

The twin-mount AK-130 dual-purpose gun fired!

 _ **Boom!**_

Lucky that Arashio had a heavy armor so the damaged was minimal, the shot scored right above her third turret.

The sensation of getting shot trough vessel for the first time after awaken wasn't as painful like getting shot directly, still it was able to made her lost concentration like bug's sting and that she let loose one set of torpedo accidentally, **4 torpedoes headed for the rear part of battlecruiser.**

* * *

 **The event occurred in a flash, nobody ever prepared for it!**

The ocean eruption shook destroyers and battlecruiser alike. However, the battlecruiser got critical damaged on engine and propellers part that she stayed dead in the water. Her front deck lifted up from water surface very slowly while her rear bottoms sank in the same rate.

The torp blast took out all the Engine Corps of Vyerni: either sudden dead or coma.

That wan't all the damage…..the more deadly part was that the shock wave tore through the reactor area; the compressed enriched U-235 fuel inside had been leaking out, made the reactor room a dead area for all the living from strong radio activity.

It was only a matter of time before the flood claim the engine room if somebody wasn't working fast. With nuclear power started going out of control, the end of Vyerni was near.

* * *

On the Nathan James, after the crew was startled by the ship gun fire, they were met with the loud explosion sound and a little earthquake.

"What the hell happened this time?" Mike grunted.

"Oops!" Arashio gasped.

Mike and Dr. Scott frowned at the teen, questioningly.

"My deepest apology, I just release the fish. I will take full responsibility of rescuing your team myself" Arashio ran out, she jumped out in the same style as Verniy toward the Vyerni.

The XO stunned

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" _ **Fuck this shit!**_ "

Right after Mike yelling, the projectiles from Vyerni were randomly fire to his ship. Thanks to the VLS, different ship size, point-blank distant, those rockets hadn't enough travel distance to adjust their trajectory so they end up smashing into the water.

But some rocket types which weren't VLS and the launchers were point in their direction was a different matter along with ship guns, while some rockets were dud due to their safety, but others work as intent.

Nathan James was starting to take damage in various section.

"Doctor, go hide in your lab! I don't want you getting injured"

He sprinted to the bride, he barked to the central intercom.

" _ **Weight Anchors!**_ "

" _ **Battle Station, Battle Station. Counter-attack the Russian NOW!**_ "

" _ **TAO,Bride, Fire everygun you got on Vyerni's bride. Fire until her bridge fall apart!**_ "

The acting captain hope that he made the right choice, he couldn't wait for Ruskov respond right now after what his ally had done. He hoped Ruskov resided on the bridge so that the Russian chain of command would be interrupted if he died, otherwise the fate of Nathan James might end today.

* * *

Arashio coincidently crawled up the same anchore Verniy used before to board Vyerni. While she herself was crawling up, her vessel weapons flared to life from her command. The 4 torpedoes on another launcher were fired toward the front hull, intended to let the water claim it to balance the slowly sinking ship in bottom-drag-down way.

Her twin-mount 5 inches naval guns turned to Vyerni side and started rapid shooting on the bridge, the girl actually thought like Mike in targeting the bridge command first. At this point-blank range, she needed not to calculate anything, just pointed and shot.

* * *

" _ **FULL FIRE ON BOTH SHIPS, NOW!**_ "

Today was the cursed day of Admiral Ruskov. He just wanted to push the American in sending Dr. Scott faster, but their reaction exceeded his expectation in an entirely way. It started with his ship'e engine room detonated; then a radioactivity light flared up indicating that their reactor was leaking, and the last scene before his eye got blind from a shrapnel was the bridge was on the receiving end of brutally focused naval guns bombardment. Nathan James was unable to do this by a single 5 inches, but it was child play for Arashio who was equipped with 3 turrets twin-mount, Vyerni bridge was rammed again and again furiously by HE and AP cycles.

Actually, he wasn't wrong in his prediction about the Nathan James but he didn't know the Japs that well. Thus Arashio's aggressive response was his down fall.

His fatality came from one of the AP which pierced through vessel steel until it was at full stop when it had done strake-through-the-heart him like a vampire slaying way. The reaper swung his scythe, carried his soul away when the stuck round detonated.

By the time he passed away, those new set of torps already breached his ship front hull. Fortunately or Unfortunately?, it helped in balancing the ship by escalating her submerging!

* * *

 **Gonk!..Gonk!..Gonk!**

The sound of empty cases hit the deck informed that the last fired case from each turret was completely ejected. It looked like Arashio deck's temperature was raising slightly from short intense firing due to evidence lying round: 4-5 hot cases per turret.

Her vessel encountered Russian attack like Nathan James, but she took less damage from the fact that she had heavier armor and more suitable weapon for brawling (the gift from WW II), and note that her counter attack was faster than James so she dealt with the resistance in short time.

* * *

Mike widened his eyes from the destruction of battlecruiser's bridge. His ship was only able to shoot out a single round of 5 inches as the Japanese DDGN stole all the work load. It was a miracle if Ruskov or whatever CO could be alive in that demolished structure. He didn't know how the girl could achieve such feast by herself alone, but the ruthless she displayed showed that she means business. He intended to destroy the bridge but not on this degree for his second thought

However, the old battlecruiser clearly wasn't going down without a fight as mentioned before. Some of her ship guns tried to fire upon his ship: some HIT , but most miss. He should consider his ship lucky that this sinking old hag has no big gun like dreadnought, otherwise his ship was a goner already from point blank first volley.

His damage controller did their best to minimize the damage, while he now ordered the weapons station to attack back in defense to some Russian turret only. He hesitated to continue full attack because his friend was still on that ship.

Vyerni was sinking, it was pointless to send the team on board. The only thing he could do now was praying to God for Tom's safety.

' _ **Tom, just move your ass here already!**_ '

* * *

Most of the Russian was in a chaos like Mike predicted, but some retained their sanity and manned their station to fight back. But only fighting spirit had its' limit, the flooded floor inside due to ship sinking and malfunction of auto-fire control system made them hard to control weapon more than they thought by analog mean, so most firing near-miss target in the end.

Chandler and his team heard the sound of continuous gun fire for a long duration. He had no idea what happened but at least he could tell that Vyerni was under attack as the vessel shaken. The start of losing in balance back and forth told him that this ship is sinking.

'Mike! You did a good job.'

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Well-Actually, Mike didn't do this Tom. Your Japs girl did.

The DDG Captain resigned his life to his fate, a little regretful that he had to go down with an enemy ship. Before his thought went any further, the room hatch opened, revealed the True Master of this ship in a tattered and bloody state, but still breathing heavily slump in. The unforgettable sight of Verniy bloody body (her upper part was dripping with blood seeping endlessly from many bullets' holes, her lower part looked better despite bullets graze.) with blood paint AKS-74U in right hand reminded him of Arashio very much; because she was not dead even though the damage she took was enough to kill a single person over and over again.

"Oh?…..you..are….he-re…." she wanted to talk more but the bloody cough interrupted her.

The member of Arashio boarding team might looked astonish, but it couldn't be compare to the others whose astonishment developed into fear of this anomalic assumed zombie girl.

"Vyer-ni..is…sinking…..just….get…out..now"

"I don't know what happened, but I need to take you with me to take care of your wounds" Tom intended to carry the Loli Russian but she raised a Makarov pistol on her left hand to threaten the him.

"No…..I..will…be…on..this-ship….till…the…end. (I don't need your pity American, I'm the captain of this ship so it's my fate to go down with her) **You…GO.** " She painfully insisted; there's a saying The captain goes down with the ship, and she was going to follow that idiom.

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Her hidden message was conveyed through her blue passionate cold eyes, the American received it well. Despite his despise on a little girl at first sight, now he respected her as a fellow navy...no...as a True Navy.

"If that is your wish"

Nobody expected the American commander to willfully stand at attention to the Russian commander; he wasn't act on mockery, he wasn't act on pity, but he act on a chivalry code which emotional affected his team and on Verniy as well.

The wounded fleet admiral saw through his true feeling of his action. She faintly smiled out of kindness, before leaned against the wall.

"Fair winds and following seas, Nathan James" She endured pain to speak out as normal as possible.

Tom signaled every one to go out; outside along the way out, they met with many dead bodies of Verniy's kill record (along with Ruskov followeres' doing, but they didn't know this fact so she stole all the credit).

' **That kid is very Bas Ass!'** The Seaman, Eric Miller, unbelievably exclaimed in his mind. It seemed Verniy made him idolize her more than his current commander!

* * *

Verniy was left with Niels in the quarantine room, she headed for a secret shelf and pulled out a bottle of Vodka. She drank the whole bottle down in one go.

' _ **Hah! I miss alcohol!**_ '

The truth was she has Alcoholism. She might have high endurance for it but she secretly hid her collection in many parts of the entire ship in case she spoiled herself breaking the navy protocol. This way, her image was stainless!

'I'm very piss, that bastard Ruskov died not from my hand…..Whatever, he's dead… **Shit! It's UNSATISFYING Damnit!** '

Niels, who tried to sneak out, was shot in the legs to prevent his escape.

"Where're you going, you walking catastrophe?" Her refreshment helped her soothing the pain.

"Let me go, please! I beg you!"

"Let you go and allow you to spread out a disease? Like hell I will allow it; you're nothing but an Enemy of the Union…..no….the World. Don't worry, I'll accompany you to your last breath"

Fleet Admiral girl dragged the injured man with ease back to his personal biohazard zone.

The silence moment she has been waiting for in accompany this ship under the sea never came, because she still heard her ship gun fire without end.

"Persistent Fool! Just abandon ship already." She groaned.

Her healing factor kicked in for some times now so her condition got better. If those fool won't leave this ship, she would force them to do eventually.

* * *

Vyerni bridge might be fallen, but secondary bridge existed within her. Two of Ruskov's follower was trying to sabotage the ship. They already had keys to unleash WMD which guarantee complete destruction. They programmed something as a dying gift before they committed suicide plus they hadn't forgot to break the keys after they're done.

Entered the fresh death scene was Arashio, she urgently scanned the monitor of what have been done. Her usual smiley face was white pale as completed blood drain.

 **The nuclear tips were set to self-destruct within a short time limit, and the method to cancel the nearly ignition was sabotaged!**

 _ **'Think Arashio! Think!'**_

At this point, three ships would have been blasting to particles if she can't manage anything out of this.

'How about changing it's order to somewhere else?'

That was a good idea…but where should she choose? She didn't have time, the timer ticked to last second before activate!

.

.

.

.

All nuclear tips were launched from the tubes before the sea water claimed the combustion chambers, their code were revised and headed toward the instant pop-up coordinate on the reviser's mind.

.

.

.

The next destination which Nathan James plan to refuel herself: **France.**

* * *

Chandler and the gang were once again back on the bruised Nathan James: many cracks, dents, burns, and flooded. Somehow, she was still afloat. The most surprise fact was that the copter hanger, which Dr. Scott's lap locate, was left unaffected. Status reports were flooding Tom like crazy, but it was interrupted by Vyerni last attempt launching.

" _ **Vampire! Vampire! Vampire!...We're not targeted?**_ "

In CIC, the panic started and stopped so fast that left officers confused. However, it wasn't long.

" **Confirm! We have Nuclear Birds in the air! Head for Land** "

Tom exhausted state was refreshed by adrenaline rush, he ordered.

" _ **Hard left rudder! All Engines Ahead FLANK!**_ " His ship might be out of Blast zone, but wind could blew contaminated air to his ship: the more distance away the better.

"Sir! We can't use flank speed now, the balance won't hold. Cruising speed is our best as of now"

"Do it!"

"Detonation in 12 seconds!"

.

.

.

"Sir, Arashio's dead in the water"

Then, the artificial sun exploded on French soil followed by a great mushroom cloud. All the nuclear tips combined made the critical mass more violent. It sent EMP wave through fleeing Nathan James, sunk Vyerni, and floating Arashio seconds later. All electronics were down.

* * *

The fate of all living things on this Russian ship was sealed; it was a matter of time before the air flushed out of ship structure completely, except 2 girls which were name after warships.

"Hi~ We haven't talked yet, have we?" Arashio found Verniy along the way off the sunk ship.

"Save the greeting for later, we have to get out of this scrap-iron first" Verniy snarled to the air-head Arashio.

Verniy leaded the escape party as she was in charge of this ship. At the flooded exit, they made free diving a long course from inside the battlecruiser to the sea surface, near anchored Arashio surprisingly.

They moved their soak-wet body to the deck and laid there facing the turning night sky above, they coincidently sighed loudly when the crisis have passed.

"Welcome aboard my Ship, Arashio, Fleet Admiral Verniy~"

"Drop the act, Arashio. I knew you know me" Verniy looked at her coldly.

.

.

.

"When did you realize?" Arashio was in serious mode as her surviving partner.

"At first glance on the Nathan James, you and I are the same."

.

.

.

"Do you know the true purpose of our existence?...I can't find one." Arashio grimaced.

"That explain why you follow those American…I'm like you, finding the reason for my existence. Sadly, I too still can't find one either even though I started my journey 4 months ago."

'That's around the beginning of the virus outbreak according to Captain Chandler'

"Pardon me, what happened with your ship?"

Verniy smiled when she saw Arashio looked sad.

"We have a lot to catch up, why don't we find ourselves somewhere more appropriate than your front deck to continue?" She pointed to the wet-state they're in, gaining giggle from the taller girl.

* * *

Arashio, who was equip with EMP shield (thick layer of copper covered all over her electronics part) was fine. While the 2 girls had (sweet?) talked to their heart content, US Navy of Nathan James was extremely busy retrieving her system down from EMP shockwave with utmost urgency. Everyone was working in the dark now.

"I need a status report on a switchboard and generators"

The captain with a small torch light was ordering one of personnel during his survey of the ship, until he stumbled upon someone near the wet engine section.

"Who's that?"

"Chung, sir"

"Anyone hurt?"

"No, sir"

As he encountered the engineer officer, he switched his concern to the ship propulsion system.

"What's our engine status?"

"Sir, the electromagnetic pulse from the bomb blew our grid. Engine won't spin, no propulsion-"

The naval engineer wanted to report more, but someone from upper deck called the captain.

"Captain"

"Is that you, Master Chief?"

"COMMO says the radios are down: no way to get message in or out"

"Move this ship away farther from the blasted zone. Lieutenant, let's get those engines back online!"

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

Inside the labs, Rachel and Quincy were trying to put every critical sample into the lap freezer. Even without power, it could preserve them for awhile but not for long.

"Damn it, we're gonna lose everything." She worried.

"Kelly, Ava, get ice and salt as much as you can and bring it here." Quincy told his family to help, this way they could prolong the cold inside the non-power freezer.

* * *

At the switchboard circuit, the new fuses were installed. Chung and his coworker prepared to kick start the system.

"Fuese in. Open valve 3,4, and 5. Shut valve to auxiliary engines and emergency air"

"Alright, give it a kick start"

It failed; the second fuse gave up on the circuit when it closed, the surge burst it out violently.

"Sir, we only have one more fuse" Another engineer came to a scene.

Master Chief, who just got back from look out, reported.

"Jet stream's pushing everything North North-East. We got a cloud of radiation coming to us if we don't move from this position."

Captain knew at that moment that his ship is in the most dangerous crisis since first sail.

"The fuse, give it to me."

Tom installed the last fuse, and used his weight moment to brace it.

"Captain, let somebody else do this." One of his crew knew what he will do.

"Rip it"

"Get your hand off, captain" Master chief warned.

"I said RIP IT!"

Chung switched on, and this time Tom was pushed back along with the damage fuse.

Tom grunted disappointingly.

"Damn it, we're sitting dock awaiting doom!"

Nothing left for the moral now, it showed on every personnel near Chandler.

* * *

The 2 girls on Arashio finished discussion at last, each one updated another of each side story. For Arashio was nothing much, but Verniy's tale was astonishing unbelievable! But due to serious pinky promised between girls, it couldn't be revealed.

Arashio changed clothes to a new set of her old style form, Verniy didn't have that luxury as her size is smaller, so she stuck with her dried blood-stain-holes clothes (a little upset that her naval-rank-overcoat was completely lose along with her cap(?)).

"2 unknown contacts enter the radar?!"

Arashio rushed out toward her front deck with loli-Russian followed closely. It might be the night with barely vivid moonlight, but they saw everything clear as day.

Nathan James was in black-out state, which was understandable for a ship with no EMP protection. When some time pasted, the contacts were in visual range. There were 2 ships closing in fast with light off.

"It's not a good sign at all." The ship owner muttered.

"You think what I am thinking." The silver hair girl replied.

Arashio decided her action.

"Weight Anchores! All engines ahead flank!" The mechanism automated on her command, heading to regroup with silence Nathan James. At her flank speed, she likely reached her target before the shady ships.

* * *

The look out from the rear and the front found Chandler consecutively.

"Sir, Arashio cruised toward us, flank speed"

"Sir, 2 unknown ships are coming from 12 O'clock"

The good news was his ally is still active, the bad news was they got 2 unknown contact while they are dead on the water with no means of self-defense.

US captain was rushing all over his ship and shouting order again and again.

"Listen up! I need everyone to get arms, prepare for battle without electronic support!"

When he was on the bridge, Arashio was alongside him on port side in battle station mode unaffected by the EMP (to Tom's surprise). The new comers were closing in. Chandler gritted his teeth in fear and worry; they were bigger than Arashio but smaller than his ship, he weren't going to worry for direct confrontation if Nathan James was in perfect condition (2 destroyers VS 2 assumed destroyers), but with Nathan James out of commission, the lost was highly guaranteed.

He decided to inform Arashio to not engage unless for self-defense by his flashlight morse code.

'Do not engage, Do not engage'

.

'Do not engage, Do not engage'

.

'Do not engage, Do not engage'

.

'Do not engage, Do not engage'

'What's the plan?' The response light came from Arashio's bridge. She noticed it out of corner of her eyes around the third round.

Tom got a little relieved when his conversation partner replies at last.

'You radio them, find out who they are and their purpose of coming toward us'

'Roger that' Arashio finished using her pocket flashlight.

"Verniy, can you help me with something?"

"You don't need to ask. I'm on your ship so you're a captain, I'm just your crew now" She shrugged.

" **Oh~ It is my greatest pleasure to have a Fleet Admiral as my crew** " The ship owner teased.

Verniy blushed from teasing remark, she coughed for her mate to pay attention. Arashio's face turned serious.

"OK, I'll hand over ship defense system to you so I can focus on the attack only, we're likely having a hard time fighting these 2 if any since Nathan James is a dead log right now." Her voice was tense from possible difficulty ahead.

"We will know when the time comes. Come on Arashio, just do what it needs to be done" The silver hair girl nodded.

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.

.

"Imperial Japan Navy warship, identify yourselves and alter course immediately or you will be subjected to defensive actions."

Suddenly, all ships' light, range from navigation light up to interior of both unknown ships, shown up in contrast to previous scene.

 **!.!**

" **Lucky to find you here! My fellow Nippon!** "

?.?.?.?

Arashio and Verniy faced each other, silent asking other opinion on the over-cheerful teenage voice.

"Sorry for my sister behavior, she's over-joy right now. We haven't met anyone **alive** for a long time."

Another female voice joined, her voice was calm and well-manner than the mention sister.

"Oh-where is my manner? We are Imperial Japan Navy warship, Sendai-class Light Cruiser"

* * *

Well, I think everyone could guess correctly who they are at least one of them. (Of course! Sendai-class has only three ships)

See you next chapter


	4. Awkward

I finished another chapter as intended.

This story main structure is the Last Ship with Kantai Collection element. However, I'm not plan to stay straight to the original show of lucky/invincible Nathan James' image. True, she is the star of the show but at the end she has her limit as a destroyer. She will have a hard time facing higher tier ship.

Enough with the Spoilers! Let's get to the story.

* * *

Arashio sighed, these two were her old acquaintance.

"Which two are you from the three of Sendai-class, over"

"Sendai and Jintsu" The calm voice answered.

'Nathan James, contacts are friendly' She signaled the dead ship.

.

.

.

'We have a problem, request help from them to tow Nathan James out of incoming radioactive cloud, our ship get damaged and generators are down.'

 _ **!.!.!**_

Destroyer girl shocked from the news; she was sure that it won't affect her, but bathed with radioactive will surely left her a bad taste. It sure was critical for Nathan James, they could die from radiation poisoning.

"We have an urgent situation; radiation cloud's coming and my allied ship's dead, request you to help me tow her out of here. Over"

"Roger that, tell us what to do." The bigger cruiser required action plan.

The plan was simple; Nathan James would be pulled at the front by 2 light cruiser for stability while Arashio would control Natham James rear from the back, some crew were told by the captain to stand by at the front and rear deck for receiving cable.

The 3 Japanese ships were coming in position fast, the rear crew had nothing to think about as they knew Arashio but it wasn't the same with the front deck crew.

The woman on the cruisers threw them a long cable with ridiculous strength, they wore bizarre clothes that looked like they came straight out of cosplay magazine.

They could feel a massive contrast from the first sign: a swordman and an assassin.

The swordman was a girl with a few years older than Arashio (≈ 17-year-old) and taller (≈ 5.6 feet); she has long brown hair, golden eyes and she dressed like a samurai from near the fall of Edo period with unique customization, iron forehead protector, sleeve-less-and-short-white-kimono under Shinsengumi coat, black scarf, well-kept Katana and Wakizashi on her left waist fabric-sword-belt, black stocking, brown leather boots.

The assassin looked more like a ninja from Japanese history book with some customized part; she was as old as the samurai but an inch shorter, she had shorter black hair done in twintails and dark-brown eyes (she covered only the lower part of her face so the upper part could be seen clearly), she wore full set of black cloth with black combat boots, and mounted Kodachi on her back with dark strap.

The only thing these two women have in common was the half-finger-fabric-gauntlet.

The preparation was done in a minute, the Nathan James signaled the 3 ships that she's ready to go. Now, they were moving forward without specific direction, flet the cloud first, anything could think later.

* * *

"Can this trip be ever weirder than it already is?" The XO muttered.

Meanwhile, the captain was back in the engine section again, busy ordering engineer staff (Chung) to fix the power-down.

"Can we by-pass the circuit using something other than fuse?"

"It possible sir, but it's too risky for circuit overload. More importantly we lack the material."

"What is it?"

"A pure silver or copper stick sir, and the size and thickness should hold curtain amount of density"

…

"Can we customize it from any part of our ship without effect the ship efficiency?"

.

.

.

.

"Our bullets have copper coating, sir. But We must separate the jacket-copper with the lead part, we can't do that on this ship. We need a proper furnace, sir" Chung answered with despair.

That was the big problem right now, this ship had no furnace for sure, as for his allied ship….SHE HAD ONE! He remembered it when he boarded Arashio.

"I know where we could find the furnace. By the way, how many bullets do we need to make it?"

Chung estimated after his draft calculation.

"About 2-3 boxes of 9 mm. sir!"

He ordered another crew.

"You! Get me 3 boxes of 9mm. and meet me at the copter pad, GO NOW!"

"Aye, sir!"

"Engineer, draft me your copper stick design, I want this done when I present at the rear!"

* * *

'Seriously, I have tons of ammunition, they don't need to waste their arsenal at all'

She was told of the plan to get back the US ship's electricity, she received the draft but she declined boxes of 9 mm. Luger.

Arashio was working to separate liquid lead and liquid copper from one another; after this was done, she poured the smoking hot copper into some random block she could find within the ship.

The copper itself was set after the temperature down (still could grill you), she forged it back and forth to strengthen the structure density and reduce the copper stick size as per draft.

It took a while before the prototype was finished. Chandler observed the freshly made warm copper stick in his hand, and passed it to the naval engineer.

At last, Nathan James was up alive once more. The cables were untied. However, she wasn't out of the pinch just yet.

"Sir, our remaining fuel is just 11%. Even at max conserve, we'll run dry in 6 hours." Granderson reported with paled face.

Captain was very worry, he missed the chance to refuel once at France and now his ship was about to dry up on fuel in the middle of freaking huge Atlantic.

He fed up of the heavy atmosphere on the bride, thus he changed location to CIC while he was performing the future direction.

"Any contact on surface serch?"

"No sir, 30 miles range."

Just as his despair rooted deeper and deeper, his XO contact him.

"Tom, the cruisers want to talk to you"

?

Oh! By the way, he forgot that he still don't know who they are, didn't he?

* * *

"We heard summary from Arashio, you don't have to introduce yourself" Sendai spoke.

"This is Sendai-Class Light Cruiser, Sendai, of the Imperial Japan Navy."

"This is Sendai-Class Light Cruiser, Jintsu, of the Imperial Japan Navy."

"How come the two of you are here? It's very far from your home. More importantly, who are you girls?" He used to dismiss this though about Arashio, as her first loacation contact with his ship was far as well, but his doubt grew more curious with addition of IJN vessel outside their respective area.

This enquiry gained attention of the bridge crew, this was an opportunity to hear the actual reason of strange event in finding Japanese ship randomly.

On this radio frequency the 3 Nippon ships heard the message; Arashio kept quiet (She lacked the information herself), Verniy also kept quiet (She wasn't supposed to be here), Sendai would be the one answering if not for the delay of her decision.

"We have no idea, Captain. It looks like we have amnesia of sort. Although we know we connect with the ship. Maybe, we are a part of some incompleted secret project, who knows?" This time, it was from her sister, Jintsu. The blunt and honest opinion fitted well with her warrior image.

She let the information sink in with the American, and continued with some more information since active.

"However, I can tell that the world situation right now is not normal. Every vessel we encountered was full of dead, including a cruise liner we ran into hours ago."

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.

.

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"Bring us to that cruise liner!" His brain was suddenly at work here, it was possible to refuel from other ship if necessary.

* * *

The marking indicated that this ship was Italian; aside from no movement, everything looked normal roughly.

Light cruisers and destroyer anchored nearer the ship than Nathan James, Sendai sisters were coming over to the cruise ship.

"Verniy, I leave my ship to you. Take care" Arashio prepared herself, she had nothing much to carry anyway except a handgun and a couples of spare magazine.

"No problem…." Verniy yawned.

In contrast with the DDG-151, Chandler busy organized boarding team amazingly fast.

"Smith, Rowler, Benz, Green, you're on provision!"

"Master Chief! You will assist Chung with the unrep."

"We get as much food and fuel as we can, and get out! LET'S MOVE!"

In this operation, Dr. Scott tagged along too. She was the most experience when speaking about dealing with this deadly virus. Her suggestion was needed on site if anything went out the wrong way.

"Remember, if the ship has been impacted by the virus, it's airborne and Highly, Highly Contagious, even from a recently deceased corpse. You must keep your helmet on at all times."

After her warning, the Captain emphasized after.

"You train for this, you can do it."

The moment the refuel team reaches the ship was when the hectic time start. Every minute counted for them, the faster they finished their work, the faster they got out of here. Meanwhile, the provision team was on the way to the kitchen, left Dr. Scott and Chandler to scan for any survivor.

The pair came into the ballroom which is customized to be a temporary extended sick bay.

"No one alive" He muttered.

"Told you. We checked every ship we passed, and no one alive."

 **?**

At the other corner of the room, Jintsu walked without worry of infection, the same manner as Sendai wandering around. They both wore their customized clothes, not a single hazmat protection presented.

"Wait? You're saying you are fine despite being near the corpses or contact directly with them?"

"That's correct. Excuse me, who are you?"

"I'm Dr. Scott. Can I have a sample of your blood? If you aren't dead, I assume that you're immune to this flue so it may be the key to fine the cure." She brought out a syringe.

"Don't bother with that small tube, I can give you plenty" She picked up a random clean wine glass, removed her left gauntlet, unsheathed a Wakizashi.

At this, the pair drew the idea of what the samurai girl will do next.

"Stop! What are you doing!?"

Jintsu paid them no mind; she sliced her left palm with the blade, her fresh blood poured down the glass like a red wine if not for the stench, anyone could mistaken it.

" _ **AHHhhhh!**_ " Dr. Scott gasped of the bloody scene before her, Tom widened his eyes against this reckless action.

"Here, take it" She gave a blood glass to Dr. Scott after she wiped and sheathed the blade.

Dr. Scott wasted no time pouring it in portable beakers, added anti clotting substance in the process.

"Let me see your hand! Your wound need immediately medical attention."

"Thanks for your concern, but I'll be fine." Jintsu didn't wait for the doctor response because she left the scene right away.

* * *

"Let's go, we are done here."

"Let's go, let's go!"

The provision team saw the horrific scene in the kitchen: the dead cooks, and the freezer full of dead bodies. They grabbed anything they could eat from the completed sealed package, they tried to get the hell out of here once their hands were full.

However…..

" _ **Oh, shit!**_ "

Benz tripped over a corpse, resulting in his mask got damaged. The most serious issue was that he got infected blood paint on his face.

" _ **Benzo!**_ "

" _ **Oh! Damn it!**_ "

"Ara? This is very bad, isn't it?"

 _ **!**_

Arashio came from another corner with basket full of champaign, wine, wisky, vodka, and other varieties of alcohol. She also didn't wear any protection.

"Are you crazy!? Why are you here without hazmat suit? **You will die!** "

"Please mind your friend first, he got direct exposed." She pointed to the blood stain on his face.

"What happen here?"

They turned to find Tom with Dr. Scott walking in. Surely, the two of them looked shock for the fact that Benz got direct contact (Arashio had been completely forgotten for a moment there.).

"Get away!" Franklin Benz shouted

"You gonna be OK, I'm not leaving you, Frankie!" Green tried to calm down his unit mate, but it backfired as Benz looked more agitate.

"I'm a dead man, just get the hell out of here now!" He quickly dropped his primary weapon and took out the secondary weapon.

"I'm not too interested in dying like these people."

Everyone on the scene knew exactly what he will do next.

" **Give me the gun, sailor.** " Tom moved his free hand in front, encouraged his subordinate to give up the weapon.

" _ **Frankie! Don't be stupi-**_ "

 _ **Bang!**_

The infected naval mountain warfare personnel was unable to commit suicide because the forgotten girl yanked his arm away in time with ridiculous strong grip for the girl her (appeared) age. The shot fired at something else. A second later, she locked him up with her deadly bear-hug.

" ** _Let me go!_** "

It was an amusing sight to see a grown man get restricted by a little girl, but no one dare to make fun of him in this critical time.

" _ **I'm giving you a direct order! DO NOT ACT STUPID!**_ We'll find a solution for this"

"You can't risk it, sir."

"No, We can. But you must be moved to another ship…Her ship." Tom pointed at the Arashio.

* * *

The first thing the freshly infected do on board Arashio destroyer was reporting about the Russian on the ship (not mention actually who he/she is from panic): the (ex-) fleet admiral Verniy.

Tom didn't know who's on Arashio so he ordered target locked on her while demanding her explanation on this subject.

The ship owner completely forgot that no one of the American should know this fact. And to add more deadly element into the picture, Sendai and Jintsu promptly surrounded Nathan James on others side, ready to fire the moment Nathan James inflicts damage on their fellow IJN.

American crew's morale was on the verge of nearly collapsing right now; they lost in term of quality and quantity purely, they didn't know their CO thought but they had the right to fear for their lives.

"Wait a sec! I can explain this alright." Arashio was amazed with the reckless action of the white-hair captain; was he aware that it's 3 vs 1?

"Then explain quickly!" The questionable CO expedited.

'Captain! What's gotten into you?' She started to get a headache for his (idiotic) action. She might hesitate to be on offensive with Nathan James, even though she was sure as hell that the light cruisers mightn't.

Her ship mate rubbed Arashio's shoulder.

"Relax-, let me handle this."

She took off the radio from the ship owner's hand.

"Well-How have you been, Cpt. Chandler?"

The moment Verniy's voice was heard all over the US bridge, Tom let out his inner pressure.

"God damn it! Are these girls undead?!"

"I suspect there're more of them sailing out there. Do you think the White House is part of this secret project?" Mike added.

Tom thought hard of the possibility of more different nationalities of these girls sailing around aimlessly, it scared him when he imagined that if someone got control over the entire fleet of them.

"You're quiet, are you alright?" Verniy had no idea what the heck is going on with the American ship.

"It's good that you're still alive, I wonder why Arashio bothered to pick you up from the ship wreck."

"Don't beat around the bush, I know you have so many questions for me. So-why don't you invite me to your ship again, this time I'm coming alone."

"Verniy, what are you thinking? It's dangerous." Arashio looked worry.

"I trust my instinct. That man was stressed from the wrecked world's order now, stress enough that his endurance won't make it if his questions about everything and us grew more and more. I don't personally hate him even his prejudice toward Russian irritate me."

The light cruisers perceived radio communication between the destroyers, they didn't feel attached anyone, they just waited to sink the DDG-151 if the battle started.

* * *

Verniy was welcomed with not-so-warm welcome on the Nathan James again. This time, the captain's hazardous paranoid was no more, no mask, no hazmat suit. The air around Verniy wasn't like the first time they met. It wasn't threatening anymore, but arrogant nonetheless.

"Hey, I give it back." Mike returned the cap.

"Thank you, I did not expect that." Verniy stunned.

"Don't mention it. I heard what happened from Tom, so this is at least I can do." Slattery didn't have eye contact when he said that, he intended to keep the cap as a scar memento.

"What exactly are you girls? I mean you, Arashio, that Sendai cruisers, and others that we haven't met." Tom questioned the (VIP) girl in front of him, on his left and right were his CO and Master Chief.

"Why not ask Arashio? I think she's open to you."

"I want to cross-check." He hadn't straightly asked the destroyer, thus he bluffed.

Verniy sighed and adjusted her cap.

"As far as I can gather information, we're part of next generation weapon for naval battle. This project is a consortium among countries with great naval force in World War 2; mainly Britain, Japan, USA, Germany, Italy, and France. The concept is simple, each ship has its' own artificial intelligence, which is called Liberator, with the same vessel's name to control the vessel. You won't need hundreds or thousands sailor to run a fleet anymore, just a bunch of girls or women will do." Verniy explained.

"But you're Russian?" Chander pointed out the odd.

"Well, I don't mention Russia because the motherland is just a minor supporter of this project, I doubt I'm the only Russian in this."

"Wait a minute…..you said girls and women? Why only female?" Slattery troubled.

"What can I say? Maybe because of you always refer to ship as female."

.

.

.

.

"What else?" CO asked.

"Well-That's much as I know, the project is a success."

She grimaced before continued.

"However, I don't know what happened after that. I woke up in the Arctic with no further command, I just know who I am, I act on my own after that. I believe that will be the same story for anyone of my kind as well; It's ironic that we know who we are, but we don't know what to do next."

"Where's you ship?"

"I left her in the arctic, because I got Vyerni."

"Do you think your lost of protocol has something to do with the virus…..Fleet Admiral?" Master Chief, who looked the most neutral of the three of them, asked.

The silver hair fleet admiral bitterly smiled a little.

"Just Verniy is fine, my naval rank has so little meaning at this point, it doesn't hold anything. But you have a good point, I doubt that as well."

"That's it for today. My XO will guide you to your quarter." Tom finished the discussion.

.

.

.

.

"I'm just curious, Captain Chandler." She gestures hand-on-chin.

"You don't trust me, do you?" She referred to the fact that he wouldn't send her back to Arashio.

"Yes, absolutely."

The girl shrugged.

"Alright, I think I can manage as long as I'm not treated like prisoner on this ship. Oh-Don't forget to tell her that I accept to stay on this ship, I'm sure she won't like it if you don't refer to me."

Verniy left the room with Mike.

"I think her information is true enough, what do you think?" Chandler asked his subordinate's opinion.

"Her story is believable and possible, but we may have to check with Arashio and Sendai sisters to be sure."

"Don't bother. She seemed the most informative from the four of them."

* * *

Verniy prediction was correct.

Arashio didn't like the fact one bit.

"Mark your word, captain. If I find out that you lie, I'll kill Lt. Benz in return." Her tone wasn't pleasant easy-going anymore.

Sendai sisters were a good listener as before. Conversely, American CO cursed himself from his mistake.

"Shit! How can I miss the hostage scene?"

Suddenly, the heavy atmosphere was blown apart.

"Bride, COMMO. Get me the Captain."

"COMMO, Captain's speaking."

"A message from POTUS came through."

The single sentence made Tom rushed out from the bridge breathlessly.

* * *

It turned out to be instruction for Nathan James (transferred while the radios were down) regards the available lap on American soil.

He ordered the COMMO to check the mentioned laps: North Carolina, Jacksonville, included direct line to the Presidential Bunker and the Pentagon.

"Sir, I've been trying but no answer."

.

.

.

"Sir! I have another message coming through. It was transmitted at the same time as POTUS."

"Open it."

It was a video file from his family.

"Tom. We're at your father's cabin. He think he has a way to get this message out through his contacts at Pentagon. I have no idea when you might be seeing thins or where you are. We're all healthy. We managed to get out early and have been up here for a couple months already. My,umm, my sister didn't make it. But honey, we're fine, we really are."

His wife ended the message by calling the kids to be recorded and sent him a good bye. He smiled when he just noticed that the COMMO left him for his privacy.

* * *

"Any progress?" Chandler talked with Dr. Scott via internal phone.

"We're lucky, we have all necessary material for the vaccine now. The last one is the blood of that girl, it's very special…..to the point that she won't die of aging or infecting. It's like she isn't completely human."

'That's correct' "You said you have what it takes to make a vaccine."

Captain waited a bit more and added his issue.

"If you have to, could you do it here on this ship."

"The labs isn't built for that, it's for collecting data."

" **But IF YOU HAVE TO, could you do it?** "

The stern gaze alarmed the scientist of something isn't right.

* * *

The CO and XO had been talking face-to-face alone privately somewhere on the ship.

"Mike, we're not going home"

"What are you talking about!?"

"The lab is 200 miles inland, with everything we know so far and many risky factors."

"What do we do, stay on this ship?"

"Dr. Scott says she has what she need here."

"But we have our orders-"

"From DAYS AGO"

His XO silenced from his cut phrase.

"In the absence of Command Structure, I (Captain) decide what's the best interest of our mission."

"And we have food here to last us, what, a week? - How much fuel?" His XO protested.

"We will find what we need."

"We will die out there."

"No, we will not."

"Tom, I appreciate what you're trying to do. It's not gonna work, people wanna get home."

"And who exactly gets to go home when we have only 80 biohazard suit for 216 people?-"

"We drew lots."

Mike was very persistent.

"I can't think like that, Mike."

"Give people a chance to get back to their family, to say goodbye."

"That's nonsense. This place is the safest place right now: the faster we help completing the vaccine, the faster we back home to help our family. Time is essential here."

Tom then played the last card to force Mike to obey.

"Now, I've laid out our mission. I expect you to fall in line, XO."

XO couldn't say anything in return, just slightly nodded in the form of surrender.

* * *

"Captain's on the Bridge."

His ship current position was still far from American shore, but she already inside American Economic sea-zone along with IJN vessels.

Out of the blue, the navigator received unexpected order.

"Left full rudder, All engines ahead full."

.

.

.

"Sir?"

"Left-Full-Rudder, All-Engines-Ahead-Full." He repeated slowly.

"Aye-aye, left full rudder, all engines ahead full" She ordered the helmsman.

"Left full rudder, all engines ahead full, AYE" Helmsman took action immediately.

He thought everyone notice the change in direction now, so he didn't waste more time to make announcement.

"This is the Captain speaking. We have no contact with home, and I have good reason to believe the American government is no longer functioning."

The crew listened carefully, this included Verniy in her (VIP) cell as well. It perked up her interest.

"The country we all hope we're coming back to no longer exists. We left our shores 4 months ago as members of the USN, but now…..we are more than that. On board this ship is the hope for our future, for our families, and for all humanity. Because in that lap in the helo bay are ingredients for the cure and this is the safest place on earth for our scientists to do their work.

He paused a bit and continued.

"On a 3-Billion-dollar piece of machinery protected by 216 sailors in the U.S. Navy, our mission now is simple. We do whatever it takes to stay alive in sea until they finish the cure. There's an unmanned fuel station and food at Guantanamo Bay. For the moment, that is our destination.

We will come through this together, and we will prevail. **CARRY ON**."

He knew his speech's dramatic to some degree. However, dramatic was something that motivates people effectively.

* * *

"Sir, the VIP request to meet you here."

'What do you want this time, Verniy?'

"Request granted."

Minutes passed, Verniy was flanked by 2 navies on both sides to the bridge.

"What do you want?" He eyed the girl tiredly.

"I get moved by your speech so I just realize something. Instead of being your freeloader which is started to get boring, I'd rather work for myself to be useful. Any position I can join?"

"To be frank (I don't believe you and I don't trust you either) I'm fine for you being my freeloader."

"(Afraid that I'll sabotage Nathan James?) Very well, let me on deck with you then, if you're too paranoid. No need for guards here."

She then stood half-attention near Gator, which earned him a slight panic of what she had done.

Tom sighed, he had more important things to think about, and he wouldn't waste his energy to keep arguing with this stoic girl.

"Watch over her, if she acts suspicious, throw her in the cell right away."

"Aye, sir."

Suddenly, Tom remembered that one of his crew was on board another ship. He picked up the radio.

"Arashio, Chandler's speaking. How's my man?"

"His symptom is showing, and his condition is getting worse I believe. He may not last beyond this week. Any last words for him?" The destroyer reported with none of her cheerful tone.

"….Please take care of him as best as you can, notify me when he pass away, we'll give him a funeral honors."

"Roger that"

'One down.' He crossed out his crew name from the list in his mind. He was sure as hell that his scientists won't be able to find success in time for the Naval Mountain Warfare officer. The bridge crew all saddened for the news.

* * *

Zoomed in to the Sendai light cruisers, Sendai changed her location from her vessel to Jintsu.

"I think of separating with them after the next transit, what's your thought?" Sendai opened the conversation.

"I think so…..Actually, I'm just kind of want to go check on our homeland situation for a while back."

"What do you expect going back? I doubt there is survivor out there."

"No, that's different from what I hope for. Think sister! What is the first priority when someone is lost?" Jintsu tested the wit of her big sister.

"He/She will try to find a way to go back home….wait!…You think some of Liberators will be there?"

"That's correct, it should be common scene for most people."

Sendai was convinced.

"Assume that we find some of us there, what's next?"

This time, Jintsu was taking a thinking-pose.

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.

.

.

"That is for us to find out, isn't it?"

* * *

I altered the look of Jintsu and Sendai here; Jintsu Kai Ni (forehead protector remain) with the modified outfit of stage 3 Okita Souji from Fate GO, Sendai Kai Ni with typical ninja clothes.

I know I have miles to keep up, but I'd keep working. Your comment is always welcomed.


	5. Welcome to the jungle

"Hup, Fire! Fire! Fire! Ready, Halt!"

 _ **Bang-Bang…..Bang-Bang….Bang-Bang…Bang!**_

"TAC Team 1 advance! TAC 2, let's go! Advance!"

" _ **Damn it! Miller!-Muzzle down!**_ "

"Sorry, sir!"

" **Sorry's not gonna do us any good when you shoot his head off at Gitmo! _Now, TAC 1 TAC 2, reset! Do it again!_** "

Sound of combat practices were heard in many parts of the ships, Verniy, in her repaired clothes, oversaw them from one of the balconies with her special assigned watcher, Mike Slattery.

"What does your captain expect to meet there?"

Mike had difficulty dealing with the Loli-navy; his navy side viewed her as a fleet admiral of the rival superpower country, his father side viewed her no more than a cute stoic little girl like his daughter (even she was an old hag inside). However, his navy duty came first in this situation. He won't let her appearance clouded his judgment.

"Some military rogue like you maybe..." He offended her a little with neutral sound.

"With 2 destroyers and 2 cruisers, whoever want to mess with you must be crazy unless they have updated battlecruiser like mine."

Then, the CO appeared from behind a nearby hatch.

"What are you two doing here?"

"Just discussing whether it's necessary to train your crew like this, it's almost not necessary as you have 4 warships at your side." Verniy pointed to cruising Arashio, Sendai, and Jintsu.

"They may be ally, but at the end of the day, they aren't under USN. If they decide to leave I can't stop them, and Nathan James will be alone again."

" **How farsighted of you…** " Glint in her eyes told him that he had been evaluated secretly.

* * *

The COMMOs had been instructed strictly.

"Captain wants a complete log of every transmission. You may be hearing emergency broadcast and radio distress calls from around the world. But we do not, under any circumstance, response or transmit. STRICT EMCON. Our position must remain secure."

"So, there's a possibility that someone will come after us like the Russian?"

"We don't know that."

* * *

Finally, the Nathan James berthed at Guantanamo bay. Before assigned teams got off the ship to do their work, the light cruisers said their goodbye.

"Nathan James, we think we will excuse ourselves from here." Sendai radioed.

"May I ask why all of the sudden?" Mike, who was in charge as Tom planned to go with the landing team, enquired.

"We want to check status of our home soil, hope we meet again someday."

She closed the conversation harshly, Mike was a bit stunned by cut-short answer while the Sendai-class ships flanked away.

"Haa…I wonder when she will leave us." He muttered softly while he was looking at the berthed Arashio in front of him. Then, he noticed the girl's throwing bottle after bottle of alcohols from her ship to Verniy, which he absolutely had no idea how could she slip out there unnoticed.

Verniy watch the teams leaved while she was opening a bottle of alcohol, she drank straight, emptied half of the bottle. She looked all over the place without focus.

'I smell trouble.'

* * *

One of the teams was assigned to look for more lab equipments and materials, the new guys disgusted with the sight for horror in the hospital. They never thought they will find this scene out of zombie apocalypse game/movie. Dr. Scott, who watched the live-feed back at Nathan James, gave instruction of which items the team must collect.

The engineer team did their work by open the valve of station oil tank to refuel the ship. Everything went smoothly…..to smooth…it was like a calm before the storm.

"No apparent activity in Sector, Vulture one proceeding directly to objective."

"Copy that, Vulture one"

They slowly proceeded to the storage area, then the leader of the team, Chandler, spotted a corpse in the military SUV.

"Masks!" To be safe, he commanded his crew to put on masks.

Suddenly, a messy hair man with black sun-glasses, cap, and M4 carbine, ran from some random corner of the building shouting to them.

"I'm American! I'm American!"

"Stop it!"

He stopped some meters away from Tom as ordered.

"Jesus Guy! I'm on your side!"

"Back off!" Burk barked.

"I'm not sick! And the loosed terrorists in this area are also not sick!"

"What do you mean?" The word Terrorist alarmed the captain.

"I and my guys are private contractors, when we realize the government is down, my friend free them. So they're running around this place, about a dozen Arabs."

"Why did your friend free them!?"

"Hey, I wish I know, but he's already dead. They kill him when I'm not presented."

"Can you tell me about food warehouse? How to get in?"

The mercenary frowned.

"But, it's gonna mean getting your hand dirty."

"I've dirtied them before." Tom meaned it.

He losen his right hand from the gun for a handshake.

"Tom Chandler, Nathan James CO, US Navy."

"Tex Nolan, welcome to Gitmo-"

 _ **BOOM!**_

.

.

 _ **Ratatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatata..!**_

?!

"It has to be those mice bastard!"

* * *

The instinct of the silver hair kid proved to be correct as she saw something flying toward the Nathan James.

 **RPG!**

Fast like lightning, she dropped herself on the deck full-force.

 _ **BOOM!**_

The jackpot fell on the 5-inch naval gun, breaching the gun structure to be unusable. It was lucky it has no live round loaded in, otherwise the front deck might have a second boom.

Verniy herself received no wound, she headed straight to the mounted M2 on the front deck, chambered the first round, and started shooting a group of suspicious Arabian face she saw from afar.

The explosion of the rocket might be loud, but it was less aggressive than the followed shots from .50 cal, the ear-shattering sound sounded as a siren of what's going on here.

The XO relayed ship status to all teams to expedite them.

" _ **To all teams, Nathan James is under attack! Five inches' down. Urgently complete your objective and return to the ship now!**_ "

" **General quarters-General quarters! All hands man your battle station.** "

Mike followed closely by alerting his ship crew, but it wasn't necessary by this point because the firing .50 cal told them everything. They were almost at their respective station when the general quarters sounded.

After Mike order, the first team to finish mission was equipments procurement team in the local hospital.

"Lieutenant Green, you have everything I need. Please get out of there now." Dr. Scott communicated from the base ship.

"Copy that"

However, the return-leg wasn't as smooth as they came in before. The door was barricaded, they were fired upon the moment they shook the door. The team panicked, their air tanks would running out of gas soon.

" _ **We're trapped!**_ "

Green reported what happened to the other team and Nathan James, hoping of back-up from available team.

The provision by the lead of captain also encountered hostile contacts, they greeted (?) each other in a gun-blazing way. They didn't care how much stored food was wasted during the process, they were going to fire until the last enemy or the last bullet in their chamber.

Tom's concentration might be on the job at hand, but he still noticed the support request from Green's team.

'Sorry Green, my hands' full here.'

He was in the dark about number of enemy, but he assumed that the majority of the terrorist force was here from the intense return-fire. He wished he had a grenade launcher with his team, his job would be easier in trashing this mob.

The refuel team heard mayday message, they were planning to accept the job if not for the explosion near them. Now, they had to take care of their lives too. The Arab guys managed to wounded the chief engineer by lucky shrapnel of an anti-vehicle rocket.

"Nathan James, We met Hostile contacts, Chief Engineer has been hit! WE NEED THE DOC. UP HERE ASAP!"

* * *

Verniy frustrated when the heavy-machinegun run out of ammo. By this time, the attackers already retreated somewhere.

Everyone on James temporary forgot about Verniy entirely, they were busy arranging medic, support, and ship-guard teams. Even someone passed her within arm-reach, he/she paid her no mind like non-existence object (her short figure probably was the main factor, but who knew?) Verniy used this opportunity to get off the ship and ran to allied destroyer ahead.

"Verniy! Oh, thanks god that you're fine." The Japanese girl smiled warmly, she just found Verniy jumped on her ship deck while she was also surveying the surrounding, weapons alerted. She carried FN FAL with x5 zoom-scope and 20-round magazine equipped. The noticeable extra item was the strange tactical headset.

"Nathan James' 5-inch got crippled, look like this place has some mice running around."

"Indeed" The taller girl nodded, not surprised one bit.

The Russian pointed to the headset.

"Where did you get that toy?"

"I pick it up from inside the hazmat suit of that sick guy." She referred to Lt. Franklin.

"Then, you actually know what happened?"

"Yep!"

"So, any news on the mice?"

"Storage area, oil tank, or the hospital, there're plenty if you wanna join." Arashio gave a headset and the semi-auto rifle to Verniy.

"Very much appreciate for the offer." 'You know me well'

Right after Verniy get out of her ship, she set sail out from the berth and pause when she gained some distance away.

* * *

"Doc Rios is en route, ETA 3 minutes!"

"CIC, anything that can assist clearing near the fuel tank, use it now!" Mike calmness was 100% gone.

"Negative sir, remaining weapons are ineffective or overkill."

True to his word, what could 25mm. guns do to the target behind building blocking the path, the naval engineers would surely die of the subsonic Tomahawk or anti-ship missile if used. The anti-sub missile was out of option as the system was not built for this kind of job.

The idea of requesting support from Arashio came to mind, but the ship wasn't in the berth position anymore.

"Arashio, where are you?"

"I'm keeping my vessel away from shore now. Do you need something?"

"We want your shore firing support. We will give coordinate and call the shot."

"No problem."

* * *

It wasn't hard for Verniy to find each team, the gunshots were a dead giveaway for the direction. From what she had heard over the radio, the crew to the hospital seemed to be in the most critical crisis as their fresh air were about to be emptied.

'No wonder why they need God Damn help' Well, they are near the death door, and would be forced to open it within a few minutes.'

They were locked up inside the hospital full of infected corpses. The terrorist had an advantage here on the open air and no limit of time, they can wait all day at the locked front door to shoot the squad.

Verniy had a clear sight of the entire group, she determined which target she should strike first before sending a copper-coated soul reaper to take him away.

If the emotion could be seen, it should had shown a big exclamation mark on each one of the remains. The loli-admiral used that golden opportunity during their short frozen state to line up more 2 shots in each chest, then they scattered around taking cover for aware rear assault.

She smiled while she was taking cover, the full pressure fell on her alone now as the suppressive fire change direction.

"The support has arrived, just move your ass out of there already you American idiot!"

Her maximum voice was broadcasted through the Nathan James' network, resulting in surprise among the infiltration team. However, the curiosity could not overwhelm them as they still had life-and-death situation to deal with.

Seeing that there was no more bullet crashing the main door, Green team tossed 2 smoke grenades to the door them follow by 2 M26 grenades.

Even the recent hand grenade focused more on the fragments more than explosion power like the MK2 from the old war, it was able to weaken the door enough to blast it away by foots: no worry.

The boom sound reminded the Arabian that they target inside were alive, some of them changed back to shoot the American navy. The smoke helped concealing the team as their counter-shot hit home while the attackers missed their marks.

This is the golden opportunity for Verniy to trash out the remaining FN's bullets on the terrorist; ignoring the glancing shots, she roughly aimed to the body part and fired 2-3 shots to ensure confirmed death. When the magazine blank sounded, she met with the Green team who had no casualty.

"Lt. Green, what's your status?"

"Sorry, I have no obligation to answer you"

The pair blurted out automatically, then they realized it sound so wrong many seconds later. Danny's men were surprised with their squad leader's aggressive response.

"I deeply apologize, Mam. I shouldn't speak like that to someone who just helps us, but we're not your subordinate, Mam. We may have a problem with the captain if he find out we act under you without his permission." As American, Danny held some level of prejudice against Russian. With him in the navy now, it took deeper root into his mindset. However, he paid some respect to the girl who was the senior here.

"That's fine, It's kind of a habit of mine. I'm comfortable enough to mistake you as Russian sailor at some point." She blankly replied. "Enough of this nonsense apology, your friends' still need aid. _**Go! Go! Go!**_ "

"You don't need to tell me that, Mam!"

Danny moved immediately to assist the other groups, left Virney alone. After she decided to move to next position as well-

 _ **Bang!**_

There was still a survival from her little carnage, he put all of his strength to press the trigger, hoping to bring at least another foe with him.

However….

The kid he shoot jerked a little, but still stood firmly. She slowly turn to the dying man who wasted the effort ineffectively.

"Oh no….my cloth got stain again. **Try being a good dead man, will you!** "

She ran and kicked his head like a soccer ball, the force she vent upon split a skull from a spine. A mini-red-fountain was form instantly which splashed Verniy more with bloody colour.

'How long will this shirt last I wonder?' The girl sighed.

She had it heavily patched up and bleached before, so it was ragged as it already is. She needed new cloth if this keeps up.

She kept the empty FN at her armpit, and scooped up the abandoned AKM before retreating to the ship.

She intended to hit all the parties at first, but now she wasn't in the mood anymore.

* * *

Her prediction about Verniy's action wasn't entirely accurate as she hadn't thought about her old acquaintance abandoned the support mission halfway, which leaded to heavy situation that the US navy requested her gun support.

"Are you sure you want me to fire at that attitude? It's too risky."

The mentioned attitude is the food warehouse building which the Captain was inside; **the most ridiculous thing was that the fire support was requested by the man himself!**

He wanted something to shake attention of the terrorist, which now held Tex hostage, and the reasonable(?) weapon was the 5-inch shell.

"Affirmative." The XO had nothing to say, he was worry as hell same as Arashio, but he gave the last push either way.

"Don't blame me if it goes worng, FIRE!"

The twin-mounted blasted the duel-shot, they soared and dropped down like a Howitzer projectile.

"Impact in 3…2…1…Now-"

 _ **KABOOOM!**_

Under the exploded roof; the unprepared terrorists were stunned as Tom expected, in contrast with the prepared Navy who used this golden opportunity to finish off the job. Many bullets from the standard M4s burst out of the barrel non-stop until the last man drop-dead.

"Casualty report!?"

.

.

.

" _ **There's one, sir!**_ "

* * *

.

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The funeral ceremony was held after everything wraps up. The food was full, the fuel was full, the Nathan James was ready to go on her journey again despise the lost from partly the captain's fault.

Verniy once again stood on the bridge with the usual crew. Tom seemed to lose some of his confidence.

"I know what happened, so your recklessness cost you your crew."

The captain stared at her.

"What're you getting at?"

"You don't need to be that tense, I know you're ashame, but nobody files a crime against you here. After all, it's just unfortunate event."

"Easy for you to say!"

"Captain, what she said is true."

He turned to Granderson who says it.

"I said on behalf of the whole crew if you ask me."

.

.

.

"Thank you." He was unable to say anything more than this. He relieved but he felt more sadness at the same time before he excused himself out.

'Let's see how good you are, Captain. The survival of this ship will speak for yourself.'

* * *

In the conference room.

"Dr. Scott, what is your process status on the vaccine?" Asked Chandler

"The prototype is complete, it's time to put it to test. In doing so, I need mammal sample like monkey. And the best place to find them is here" She gave positive feedback, and circled the area on the map (Costa Rica).

.

.

"We have a better sample than that, are you forgetting about Lt. Franklin? Last I heard from Arashio, he's alive, but barely"

"Are you sure? I can't guarantee its' success."

"It's better than him dying for nothing." Mike supported this idea.

"Remember, this is your call."

With assured nod from both officers, she excused herself to prepare for the injection.

According to insufficiency of lab suit, only Dr. Scott, Quincy, and Tom came aboard the infectious Arashio. The owner looked fine as ever, but Benz looked so much worse than they last saw him on the Italian cruise. He got small tumors all over the place; the pulse and breathing existed, but it was too shallow that it could be gone any second.

"What are you spacing out for? Waste no time Doctor." Arashio reminded them of what they're coming for.

"Don't you tell me."

"It's a miracle he's breathing" Dr. Scott performed injection, it finished in a short time.

"How long before it take effect?" Tom asked this time.

"It should take effect immediately after injection, according to the lab's result, but it make take a few minutes at most in actual test, well as this is the first time testing on human body-"

Without sign, Danny suddenly got heavy seizure, his body sprang again and again with more frequency as time passed, he was hitting the ship structure violently.

"What happened!?" Chandler acted by instinct to hold the patient down, but Arashio pushed the captain away.

"Be Careful Captain, you don't want to risk damaging your suit and get infected, do you?" She pinned the sick Lieutenant down with her four limbs. She completely dominated him as he was pinned down with iron-grip of the girl; again, it was weird no matter how many times this happened for full-grown man to lose against little teenager.

"Hey Doctor! Is this suppose to happen?!" He was panic. Sure, he already crossed Franklin's name out, but he found it hard to see him die in front of his own eyes.

"There's a little chance it will succeed in the first try."

Dr. Scott held her knees leaning on a random wall while they had been watching the first test subject tried to break free from Restrainer.

.

.

.

.

.

Until he quieted down.

"He's dead." She confirmed after the pulse's gone. It sound so neutral, neither sad or happy(?). The girl asked him.

"So, what's next?"

Quincy collect blood sample from the dead calmly.

"We will find out what happened. I don't believe our sample is a total failure; there are so many factors we can't control obviously."

"Do you want to keep his remain?"

The question of the ship owner left he think hard.

"Rachel, what's your thought on this?"

"Captain, do you mind if we keep his corpse for study? I mean no disrespect the dead, just experiment purpose."

Tom thought hard for about 5 minutes; speaking from objective perspective, it was the suitable choice (He's dead so his body should be use to the fullest value), it was a different story when talking about dignity though, it was rude to the dead to act on one's corpse without advance permission from the owner. He concluded after a little internal debate, all things considered.

"Do it, I think he would want that as well."

" **However, this fact must not leave this ship, and keep his infected tissue with utmost safety. Do you understand?** "

They looked one and other, silence agreement had been made. If this leaked out to the crew, there likely would be more issue here.

* * *

"We should be in Costa Rica by tomorrow morning, sir."

"Good, keep it up"

Chandler walked out to breathe in open-air on the side rail, he met the survival of Guatanamo.

"Hey Tex!"

"What's up? Fancy meeting you here."

"Breathing fresh air. How is my ship treating you?"

"It's nice, I couldn't ask for more. Hey Captain, I have a few questions."

When Tex got approval from the Captain's body language, he asked.

"Where did you meet that Japs' ship, and where did you get that silver hair kid?"

Chandler relaxed posture suddenly got tense, how should he told this ridiculous tale to the other?

"Pardon me, but I don't want to get into the details. To be short, we encountered that destroyer in the South-ice-sea before we're aware of the epidemic, then she decided to stick around. As for the kid, she's Russian. We pick her up from a sinking Russian ship (Battlecruiser) that tried to sink us earlier."

"That's quite the story. Pretty ballsy to keep your enemy on the ship even though she's a little girl, if I do say so myself." Tex laughed.

" **You know what, Tex? I forgot to tell you something interesting.** "

"Oh! Tell me."

Tom smug face gained the other man attention.

"That little girl turned out to be an old hag older than my mother, and she had been the CO of the particular Russian ship, a freaking battlecruiser to be accurate. If her ship didn't have a mutiny, I won't be here talking with you."

.

.

.

.

" _ **HOLY SHIT!**_ "

* * *

The plan of acquiring the test monkeys had to be revised at the final moment before they went into the Costa Rica sea zone, the cause were the heavy distress signals coming, mostly the civil unrest. This was so doubtful that they could have a safe passage to the destination jungle.

The target was revised to Nicaragua. However, they must use RHIBs to reach the center of new jungle due to shallow and narrow river. Another concern was the distance which was out of radio range.

That wasn't all the headache the Captain would suffer from last minute adaptation.

"Captain, I need to go with the team."

"What are you talking about? You should be safe here instead of going out risking death!"

Dr. Scott looked him in the eyes.

"Then, can you differentiate between Tufted capuchin and Geoffroy's spider monkey?"

'What the hell is that?'

The doctor's question shut Tom up completely.

The Bridge members took no part in this a moment ago, but now the XO thought he should do something to get his friend out of this mess.

"Who do you want in your small team, Tom?"

"Oh, right. I'm gonna need all my best men, that includes you."

"Are you crazy!? Who will look after the ship while we're out?"

"I guess the Engineer Chief can do it."

"You guess? This isn't a normal situation Tom. I don't doubt her ability in engineering, but the bridge isn't her field of expertise."

"You two are very noisy, you know that. At least go and discuss somewhere out of here, it's not good for the inferior to see their superior trade words."

The interruption came from the only ex-Russian Navy on the bridge: Verniy. She frowned a little to express her displeasure from the fact that men (intentionally) overlooked her.

"By the way, if you're looking for someone who has ship commanding experience other than Slattery, I'm fit the bill perfectly; I'm a God damn Fleet Admiral, and I used to be the CO of a bloody Battlecruiser. **Commanding a Mere Destroyer is not that hard right?** "

After she let out some frustration from the suitable candidate overlook, she boosted her arrogant right away with smug face.

"I have 2 good reasons why I shouldn't assign you; 1.) You're Russian, and 2.) Your ship'd been sunk by your poor management skill."

Mark burst out laughing without care of any manner. Verniy was red all over the face from anger and embarrassment from Tom's second remark; she clenched her fists tightly while she was heavily trembling. Everyone held breath for a moment, expect her to explode.

But the explosion never came, instead she heavily sighed and relaxed her entire posture and slumped herself on the Captain seat sulkily.

"Talk all you want, you're lucky because of that idiot Ruskov's mutiny. Ooh..wait! That's not my point! I agree with your XO here, Captain Chandler. You left him in charge or me."

"Actually, I have another option present."

?.?.?

"Her" Tom's index finger pointed to a Japanese Destroyer.

He had higher degree of trust toward Arashio more than Verniy: mianly from their first encounter which kicked off differently. Even she hid Verniy from his eyes once, he distrusted anything relate to Russian.

* * *

"As usual, we will operate at EMCON. They will report in, but we will not respond. We expect the team to fall out of ranch. When they do, we'll go to a flare system. Green means no radio contact available, but all is Okay. Red means no radio, and things are not Okay."

"Hope we won't see the red flare, but we're prepared in case we do."

When the radio team finished briefing, on the outer deck of Nathan James, the monkey hunters were ready to depart. They have unexpected addition to the team.

"Why are you here?" Mike asked while Tom was frowning.

"You ask why!...I'm going with you, Of course!"

Verniy stood at attention near one of the dropping small boat, she wore green camouflaged hunting vest which was different with the rest of the team who had usual tactical gear on. Aside from that, her weapons were also different; Winchester Model 70 hunting rifle slung on her back and Taurus Raging Bull revolver on her waist holster.

"It's no problem right? I mean since you let her handle your ship" She pointed at Arashio who stationed on the bride after anchored her ship near Nathan James. "I'm stuck with nothing to do so I guess I will help out to cure my boredom."

"Why should I trust you? You can shoot us in the back."

"Look Chandler! If I want to kill you, I'll have done it at the beginning. You act as you know everything, but in fact, you don't know anything." 'She know me long before she even meet you, you stranger.' She internally vented her frustration on her Jap mate.

"What's the problem, team? It's time to go."

Arashio sound came from the radio, she looked at the group from within the bridge with Nathan James Cap on her head.

"No problem, we'll proceed as planned" Mike answered the fresh Deputy Captain.

"Tom, we have no time to waste, the faster we get the monkey, the faster Dr. Scott and Mr. Tophet can test and complete the cure. I'll take care of her."

The boats' member were split between Tom group: Tom, Scott, Quincy, Tex, and Jeter, and Mike group: Michael, Verniy, Green, Burk, and Miller.

"This isn't a hunting lesson, why don't you use standard assault rifle?" Mike was curious.

"You're going into the jungle here, don't you expect to fight with wild animals? I mean the heavy weight like elephant or bull." Verniy had reason.

'Do they even live around here?' This was everyone thought, no one was that well study about wild life in America continent.

"Beside, you don't have to be on guard like that, it's annoying. This rifle is bolt-action. I can't shoot that fast."

The XO didn't continue the argument, what she said was true even though she left some important thing unsaid; it was more lethal as fair adjustment for the low rate of fire and inner-magazine capacity.

They finally arrived at a little sand shore, the two team discharged to find their objective. They continued until they saw a waterfall.

Suddenly, anonymous people came out from the jungle: infected, like a horde of undead.

" _ **MASK! NOW MASK!**_ " There was no need for the order at all, everyone was putting on mask for dear life.

" _ **Fall back, fall back!**_ "

Despite their effort threatened to shoot if the infected came closer, they kept following nearer and nearer, the nearest was just a foot away from Miller's gun. Miller found one of the hardest choice in his life; should he shoot or push back? The first choice was sure to scare them away with one of innocent lives gone, another would risk himself got infected if nor careful enough.

He wasn't deciding fast enough, someone already decided for him.

A heavy hard sound of medium hunting caliber exploded, sending one bullet out of the bore of Winchester rifle. The rhino killer had done a super-effective job as it hammed that infected in the chest, he was sent flying back from over-stopping-power round, pushing some people behind him to scattered back. He died immediately as half of his heart burst out from his back.

While everybody froze up to proceed what happened, the shooter didn't stop half way.

She cycled the next round up and shot without breaking a stance. This time another pair of mother and an infant suffer a gruesome death; the merciless bullet butchered her lineage in half, it's leftover force broke the mother spine violently, she died a painful way as her upper part lost the supporting structure and fell down ripping some weak tissue part before the gravity pulled the whole parts down.

" _ **CEASE FIRE!**_ "

The coming horde came to completely halt, Verniy continued for the third round ignoring the shout from Chandler. The infected fled quickly when the third victim finish dying.

" _ **I! SAID! CEASE FIRE!**_ "

Tom was at his limit, he pushed Verniy with his primary gun, this caused the silver hair girl to lose her footing and on all four.

Verniy turned around to see the whole group ready to fire at her.

" **Why did you shoot them?! I never order such things!** "

"If I don't shoot, he has high risk of getting infected. **Do you have enough gut to shoot, sailor?** " She misdirected attention to Miller.

Amateur like Miller couldn't stand a hard gaze from a cold-blood veteran, he kept quiet all time.

"Anyway, before you guys dump me with much more complain. We're here to do our mission, and they're our obstacles. No matter what, we must complete this with less casualty as possible, **not to mention that they will eventually die anyway.** "

The last part of her sentence hit everybody hard even it was the truth.

.

.

.

"You're going back, Verniy! I can't stand sailor who doesn't act by protocol."

* * *

"What happened, captain? I heard some gun shots."

"Doctor, we've got troubles! You're out of here now, back to the James! I cannot risk you going up river, and it's not open for debate!"

"We'll get you an assortment of monkeys, you'll have to make do."

When Chandler finished talking with female doctor, he ordered the tiny one he wanted her out of this mission.

"Now Verniy, escort Dr. Scott back to the ship!"

Verniy knew she can't get going with the group any longer, and the order was a polite excuse to turn her back.

She started the engine. However, she left something lingering toward Chandler before she departed.

"Hope you get back without getting anyone die, Captain."


	6. Value of Blood

**I disappear for a long time. Sorry is the only thing I can say.**

 **My mind is occupied by many things during this period, I can't promise anything but I'll try my best to write the story as passionate as possible.**

 **Thanks for all support; comment, subscribe, favourite, etc. I check it all, so don't hesitate to show your support or opinion.**

* * *

"Chandler is full of himself all the time."

Back to Nathan James, Arashio sat on the captain chair while Verniy intentionally sat on the XO chair under the displeasure gaze of the bridge crew. The two girls gossiped like any woman does.

"You got to understand him. He can't go this far without it; that includes his crew under this nondirectional event." The acting captain defend him from the irritated Verniy.

"I know confidence is important, but having too much of it will turn into a worthless Ego. I warned him of his thinking. He just doesn't listen."

"What makes you say that?"

"We encountered a sick group, but he hesitated to shoot them to defend his sailor, just scared them away, even Miller was nearly getting tackled by them if I didn't interfere."

"If you were him, what would you do then?"

"I'll order to kill them all, of course! If someone wants to retreat, I won't follow as long as they don't present threat to our team. By another manner of speaking, we show them mercy as they're fated to die anyway."

"That shows he is normal human being."

"Just a naïve soldier I must say-"

" **HIBIKI!** "

Arashio lost all of her playful manner, she spoke loud enough for Verniy to pay attention to her. At the same time, Verniy sensed utmost displeasure from Arashio's tone by the sounding of her long-old-abandon name.

"Compare to anyone here, we have done countless killing that we used to it. Actually, you might have done a fair share more than I did, is that right, Senior? So,I don't want you, especially YOU, to call him naïve."

.

.

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"What are you getting at?"

"Don't compare human being with tools of war like us."

Iron gaze met steal stare, the crew tensed up of the incoming clash…..probably. The serious atmosphere remained so long that the bridge lost count of time, until one of them broke it.

"I yield, Verniy. Staring contest is not my thing." Arashio giggled.

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"Refrain from using my old name from now on, It still hurts me no matter how many years have passed."

Her neck curved down to hide the upper face, Arashio swore she can see a single tear run down the Russo-Japaanese's cheek.

She kept quiet after seeing that under the curious gaze of the crew, who had no idea what the two of them were talking about. Arashio realized she hit a sensitive topic of her old friend; she saw no reason to explain to the American however.

Nathan James wait for more hours, then the green flare was fired.

"That's Green flare, all is good." Arashio said aloud. She didn't need to ask anyone as Green is international signal for Good.

"Took them long enough to send the signal, not sure how long we must wait for them to finish and get back here?" Verniy yawned, showing her boredom.

"We'll have to just wait and see. Hey, let's find some snack in the cafeteria."

"Sounds good to me"

* * *

The navy who wasn't on duty either rest in the quarter or relax in the cafeteria which had some beverage and snack serving. Miller was one of the off-duty, he decided to find chat mate so he wasn't in the bed. Only for him to find his little Idol, Verniy was having a light break with the deputy captain.

Miller wasn't the only one who watched, everybody there at least gave the two girls attention.

"Arashio, what're you planning to do after the cure is complete, if only?"

"I've not thought that much….I think I'll demand some sample from Tom and head back to Japan. Even the United States is in disarray, Japan must be dead already."

"Why don't you seek your sisters first? Honestly, this should be your top priority?"

"Ara~ What about you? You have plenty of time more than me but you chose to chase Nathan James instead." Arashio countered question with question smoothly. She avoided sensitive topic about Verniy Ex-sisters on purpose.

"You got me there…In this situation, rebuild the Motherland is the most top urgent priority."

"Then, it's the same as my answer. I'm sure all of my sisters: from the dutiful Asashio down to the foul-mouthed Kasumi, they can take care of themselves. Most of all, I believe that almost everyone in the IJN will return to Japan at some point like Sendai and Jintsu."

"You said almost?"

"Yes, because I'm not certain for someone like you, Yukikaze, and Atada for example."

.

.

.

Verniy felt no ill will when Arashio mentioned her. However, she perceived a faint lodging of resentment inside those 2 brown orbs….well it might only be her imagination.

The silence made both destroyers aware that nobody around was doing their activity anymore.

" **Sailors! Is something the matter?** "

Arashio stood up to her full height with Tom's cap on, anybody who isn't scanned by her serious eyes was none. The Nathan James' personnel were conflict; she was the acting captain for sure, but the acceptance wasn't sitting very well with some crew unlike the superior.

Arashio anger slowly rose that nobody answer her, while she wasn't American, the Captain of this ship appointed her as on-duty captain so that mean she has the highest authority on this ship now, she wouldn't back down from some seaman who don't know his place. Before she was able to think of punishment against protocol….

"Nothing, Ma'am!"

Miller stood at attention and continued sipping coffee.

The other seeing Miller's done, they consecutively responded one by one in their own (half) respectful way with the same meaning as No, Ma'am. All in all, they avoided problem with the intimidated girl.

Behind Arashio, Verniy endured not to giggle as hard as she could. Those complicated faces were hilarious!

* * *

It was night time already, the monkey hunters were back at last.

"The team is back, Ma'am! ETA 5 minutes."

'Finally!'

At the status report, Arashio picked up a walky-talky before got out to greet the real CO. She walked out alone without any Nathan James personnel or Verniy.

She welcomed them with her usual smile since the searchlight shone upon them but it faded away the moment she notice something's wrong with the team. They didn't wear the full set of suit like when they took off, just plain inner navy t-shirt. However, the most unsettling thing was the blood stain on their body.

"Captain Chandler, what's the meaning of that blood stain?" She halted the DCA, who stood by, at the same time she asked the captain on a boat.

"Long story short, we encountered hostile like Gitmo." Tom replied.

"OK….Though, I can't let you guys on board just yet."

The acting captain then raised the walky talky.

"Bridge! (Acting) Captain! Tell Dr. Rios to put on hazmet suit and meet me on the front deck, bring dozen of blood-sample-collector with him."

"Aye."

"Bridge again, make announcement to seal off the ship, over."

"Aye, Ma'am."

"If you suspect we're infected, we aren't." Chandler could read Arashio from the event influence.

"Save it when the test result is done, Chandler."

There she went again; the iron gaze voided from her normal cheerful (and seductive) manner stared at Chandler like him being a junior testing the emotional limited of one authority.

.

.

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.

'Yeah-Yeah, your're right, for safety measure.' He lost the staring contest out of his will.

* * *

The test was performing within a short period of time. However, it felt so long and torment to the speed boat crew.

"This is Dr. Rios. The result is out; they're not infected, Ma'am." The only naval doctor on the ship reported.

The said doctor's voice was audible for Chandler inland-team to sigh in relieve.

"Bridge, Captain, All's are green. Unseal the ship now!"

"Welcome back, Chandler. I suggest you clean yourself first, I'll have some men clean the monkeys while you're at it."

She took off the Nathan James cap and returned it.

"Nathan James is yours again, Captain."

* * *

The situation was back to normal, then the old question emerged again; where would they set course to?

Inside high rank conference quarter; Chandler, Slattery, and Master Chief had a meeting.

"I think it's time we go home, Dr, Scott is positive about the success now. It'll be 80% if the monkey survive, and 100% when human can." Tom said.

"I'm not that optimistic, Tom. What if it fails again?" Mike countered.

"I consider that too, but right now our men need hope to get going. They already exhausted as it is and it'll be worse if we keep going with no direction. Master Chief has information about this."

"Yes, sir. I've been talking to the crew to check their mental health. I'm sorry to say that they're near the limit."

"Right-right, If that's what you said."

"Another thing is Verniy and Arashio are coming with us."

At this, not only Mike frowned but Master Chief as well.

"Captain, you never mentioned this before. Did I miss something?"

"It's not your fault, Master Chief. I forgot to tell any of you about this. Actually-"

* * *

" **Their blood is the key to our cure**." Scott concluded.

"That's good. So, we have unlimited supply material from those girls (with the ship)." Her research mate excited.

"But we need the right amount and density, otherwise it will kill us right away from toxicity or we'll never get cured. And we will have a shortage on other chemical substances sooner or later, doubt you forgot?"

Dr. Scott reminded him.

"The most important thing is how to maximize the use of these mammals. I'm trying to complete it before we run out but who knows?"

"Let's hope for the best." Quincy was nervous.

Really, this task was the toughest in their entire life.

* * *

The daily life on DDG-151 was plain as usual during the trip back home. Captain announcement raised the crew morale by a drastic margin as expected, it should be more lively if Dr. Scott complete the vaccine soon.

On the contrary on the Arashio, she alone sat among huge amount of human-killing tools. She decided to prepare for fatal situation which could occur any time by positioning many guns at concealed places inside her ship and load other armaments to be fire-ready.

Recently, she began to feel homesick, but she purposefully stuck with Nathan James because she didn't want to eat her own word when she said she will go with them in the beginning. The only small complain she had (inside) now been that Verniy is still kept under surveillance that made her lonely with nobody to talk to.

* * *

Some times after, Rachel finished the vaccine which comes at the cost of first to second last lab animals. However, it hadn't been injected to a human being yet. The odds were still there obstructed the success.

The usual 3 men superior were on the front deck, breathing fresh air.

"How can we find 6 sick candidates to perform actual test on? We can't sailing around follow those distress calls. They may die before we even get there." Mike started the topic.

"I know, but she doesn't have enough equipment to sustain a quarantine for more than a few days which is just enough time for one trial with as many people as she can fit in the lab." Tom explained the fact.

"I suggest we ask for healthy volunteer instead, sir" Master Chief tossed his idea.

"Well, I'll have to volunteer-"

"Ridiculous Tom! I'm not gonna back you this time. You're the captain! You cannot risk yourself like this."

"What kind of message does that send? You got rank, you can sit around?! Everyone else can be the guinea pigs?" The argument became hotter.

"Captain's right, someone from a leadership position needs to volunteer to set an example…" Master Chief paused with a grin before he continued. "Which is why I already had Dr. Scott work up on me, apparently I checked off the few boxes she need: African-American male over 40, Southern Baptist."

"Master Chief-" Tom was very surprise to hear this, but his man stopped him before he objected.

"With all due respect, it's already been done. And you don't even know if you'd qualify."

The African-American continued by maintaining his smug face.

"The crew needs you, in some ways, more than either one of us." Chandler still couldn't accept for him to participate, he was more valuable to the ship crew more than Tom and Mike if speaking from crew relationship perspective.

"I appreciate the sentiment, sir. But you know we're all needed."

Nathan James highest commander sighed.

"Alright, spread the words we need volunteer!...Let the crew know it'll be completely confidential, I don't want anyone feeling pressured."

"Aye, sir"

* * *

There was a saying words go fast, it was extremely very much faster in this confined space on the Atlantic. The 3 check-up counters with medical knowledgeable people like Dr. Scott, Quincy, and Dr. Rios weren't enough with tons of volunteer from various departments, who lined up for inquiry like waiting for an audition.

Chandler smiled during his unofficial reconnaissance in the check-up area, his crew was so active to participate in the test. Well, maybe they want to be recorded as the first group who undergoes the complete product against world pandemic. His eyes later rested on Mrs. Tophet which is totally unexpected. She was helping to arrange the long line of participants to fit in a limited space.

"Hello, captain."

"You seem to be setting in well."

"Well, I thought I'll make myself useful."

"How's your daughter?"

"She's doing OK, thank you."

"That's good to hear."

The conversation ended, he looked at the scene: running medical background on candidates, before it's time for him to go back to the bridge.

"Are you ignoring me on purpose?"

?

He didn't pay much attention on the surrounding, suddenly he was greeted by a girl much smaller to his height.

"Oh, why are you here?"

"Your XO non-stop complains me for free-loader. When I asked what I should do for him to stop his rant, he fired me here said that my present should be useful here." At this point, Verniy was used to be treated like a little kid.

"Indeed, Mike is right you know."

"Sh! When this mess is finish, I'm going back to Russia."

She walked away from Tom.

'Of course, you should just swim back already if you miss your home that much'

* * *

"So, you've just received what we're calling the prototype decoy. It will, uh, bind to the virus and keep it occupied while your immune system creates the specified antibodies to defeat it."

Dr. Scott explain the details to all volunteers after she injected the prototype.

"I'll remind you that you'll likely experience side effect similar to early stages of the virus, so expect some headaches, fever, and exhaustion. Just like a good hangover."

"Ladies and gentlemen, your entertainment for the next 3 days." Verniy's sarcastic remark gained a lot of frowns and sighs from the American, but it helped to loosen the mood of the volunteers.

The last part of Chandler came next.

"Um, I'd like to just say that you all…you are remarkable people. And it's an honour to-"

"It's an honour." He was cut finish short by Kara, one of the volunteered TAO.

* * *

The pass few days had gone with nothing to worry about, but nearly a week after there were incidents happen one after another. It started with Kara getting seizure from very high fever; Chief Engineer Garnett lost blood flow to her fingers from hypotension, Tex got shingles on the back, Master Chief had been hallucinating regularly, but the most critical blow was Maya died from heart attack, Miller was the most fortunate of all as he just felt uncomfortable only all the time.

Even Rachel predicted that each person body may react to the prototype differently, but the real result was drastically different, each symptom for each person. These cases made the doctor very tired; including Quincy and Rios, the only one who seemed interest (but hiding her amusement) in the process was Verniy even though it made her busy helping as well.

The dead rose a heavy discussion of what could go wrong in this trial, the two scientists and the ship medic concluded that they needed more immune blood to make the more anti-virus solution.

FLASHBACK

"You need WHAT?" It was the question coming from the Arashio.

"We need more blood to make more immune solution before inject it to the testers, their survival chance increase that way. Since we run out of blood from a teen from light cruiser, we assume your blood should be the same with her, so Dr. Scott request your donate blood, over." Chandler communicated with Arashio.

"Why need it from me? Isn't Verniy on board the Nathan James right now? Over" Arashio said from her ship.

.

.

From the sound of it, Arashio hinted her displeasure to be a donor.

'Damn! So, it's back to the Russian?'

End of Flashback

"So that leads you to me?" Verniy crossed her arms.

"Yeah."

"I'm a bit hurt that you overlook me, you know that?"

"At the end of the day, we still belong to opposing navy so it's natural for me to not trust you."

"Oh, please! Cut your old crap already. You ask for my blood, you got it. I see no reason why I have to decline. Put that aside, isn't Arashio from your old enemy country? You're bias, Chandler."

Tom kept quiet when his logic is used against him, it wasn't that he's mad but he hadn't thought about this situation before. He….His government view Japan more friendly then the old USSR.

Verniy spoke out of the blue.

" **I wonder Chandler; between you and me, who was the actual Cold War veteran here?** "

After losing the battlecruiser, her ambition about Motherland-rising reduced drastically. Why? Now, she was alone and she knew her limited option well. She wasn't a kid who will throw tantrum about American gain the credit of the cure; she knew that this is the last option available now if she sabotaged it, it's Doom.

This simple sentence was the first time Verniy spoke from her true self without nationality coating. Would Tom get what she means? She did not know. But the gaze they give each other told that a thin layer of heavy Soviet-USA discrimination had been partly broken permanently.

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.

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Verniy excused herself.

" _ **Wait!**_ " She paused at door when she heard the followed voice.

"I'm sorry." Tom knew. The face she wear when she said, that was her true core from someone who witness her own Super-power breaking apart

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"You're welcome."

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She walked until she found who she's looking for: Rachel Scott.

* * *

"You sure you have enough for the whole crew?" Chandler asked after the trail finished, the result was satisfying but some lost couldn't be avoid. Dr. Scott and her friend held a little celebration between themselves right after the announcement.

"And 50 or 60 more."

"When we get home, we can use this as a vaccine and a cure?"

"The uninfected will be immunized, and….the sick can be cured, providing they aren't too far gone."

"It's time to mass produce then."

They completed it….they completed the vaccine at long last! But why did Scott look not-so-happy?

"What bothers you? You should be happy now, why can't you fully smile?" Tom prepared for some bitterness after the good news.

"I'm happy, but we lost one life to my carelessness."

"I don't blame you, every participant knows the risk and they take it willingly. Besides, her death won't be in vain, I'll see her Navy cross for this, while not a combat issue it's heroic act."

Then Tom backed to the topic he want to discuss.

"Where can we reproduce them?"

"From what I can gather, the place I bet my highest hope for is Fort Detrick infectious disease lap." She honestly talked.

.

.

.

"Knowing how deadly this plague is and how fast it spreads, I don't have any confidence there will be any survivor aside from those Girls on the ship out there."

Tom started with the pessimistic assumption, but then he continued with his optimistic though with a smile.

"That being said, there's a reason they call it a fort. And if anyone can hold their own, it's our friend in the Army."

Somehow, Rachel Scott forgot something important.

* * *

The crew was called to the meeting in front of the hanger.

"I want to address the issue that's on all of our minds. On our way up the coast, our ship will be passing right by Norfolk... by home. And our comms team tells us we could pick up some orphan signals from random cell towers or servers still online. You may even get a phone call if they've restored power on land. It's unlikely, but I just wanna prepare you. We don't know what to expect when we get back to the States. The only way to help the people we love is to deliver Dr. Scott and the cure to a secure and workable lab. Detrick's our best bet, so that's our mission."

"Aye, sir!"

"Carry on"

* * *

At the same time while Chandler had his speech time, Verniy talked with Arashio via Morse Code.

'The cure is successes now, Chandler will go back to America. I'll ask you again, what's your plan, Arashio?'

'I'll see it till the end by making sure he's safe back home before I left him.'

'Including come inside US territory?'

Verniy's emphasis alarmed Arashio of some incoming critical issue.

'It should be alright, I come with the US Navy after all, I don't think Chandler will careless enough not to inform his home base of my arrival. **More importantly, they need our blood to survive.** '

.

.

'And you think you should anchor there?'

'Of course! Why shouldn't I?'

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'Later'

Verniy cut off the communication.

Verniy felt uneasy with the thought of going to US, it wasn't about hostile water but rather what awaited them on the mainland. Unknown to the Russian, the Japanese felt the same after she spoke out her mind. While Chandler dreamed of finding safe facilities to reproduce the cure, the destroyer girls thought of the worst case scenario; sometimes later, he would capture her for the purpose of draining blood.

* * *

On the United States mainland, a tall blonde woman patrolled along the silence city block in Baltimore. She couldn't be ignored as a passerby at all from how she clothed herself or what she carried: Black Barrett M107A1 and UMP-45 slung across both shoulders on her coat which she wore over small white corset, with additional 4-inch Colt Anaconda placed on her inner-upper dark-grey short-skirt. Her leg-ware is a simple black thighhighs and sneakers. Another belonging is a medium size bag she held by both her white-glove hand behind her back.

The calm breeze of dead city moved her long hair on the back and side drills a bit, her aquamarine eyes scanned the surrounding with caution. Suddenly, she heard car engine running.

'There's still someone alive here?'

Just finished the thought, and she heard the car crash immediately.

' _ **WTF!**_ '

The heavy cargo on her was nothing when she sprinted to the accident site with no panting. She found a sedan freshly crash in a convenient store, there seemed to be 4 passengers. There was an old man on the driver seat, his grand children sat on the rear, and another woman sat on the shotgun seat. She reached for the handle to find out it's lock, she smashed the window bare hand without delay and unlocked from the inside which her action gain a startle from them especially the woman.

"Hey! You OK?"

They looked at their savior, and at the same time, she found out a terrible news.

'Oh God! They're infected.'

"Get away! We're sick." The oldman driver shouted.

"Too late now, POP. Where are you going?" She spoke like she's not scare of this flu at all.

Seeing the woman didn't care about getting the flu in the slightest, the driver couldn't continue what he want to say. A sick woman responded.

"We're trying to get to Olympia."

"Olympia?"

"They have a cure there, we must hurr-" The driver coughed and fainted.

"No! Grandpa." The children panicked.

She was watching the scene, she processed what little information she had gained.

'This Olympia place must be important place, that's why they try so had even the old man drives while being the most fatally sick.'

"Hey, lady. Do you know the way to this Olympia place?"

"I know but-"

"Alright, just wait here. I'll find a new car and drive you there."

Considered that she had nothing to do now, she might get herself useful by helping them and see what that Olympia is actually.

"Excuse me, what's your name?" The shotgun-seat woman asked.

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.

.

"Just call me **Wichita**."

* * *

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 **If you wonder how Wichita should actually looks like, try searching for Wichita from Warship Girl (1 of the Chinese rip off of Kantai Collection), I base her look on the Remodel USS Wichita. By telling you this, I already spoil you, hope you don't mind.**

 **Well, I think you might have an idea about her but just wait for confirmation at this point.**


	7. Light in the Dark

**Last I check, the Last Ship season 4 is already finish!**

 **What? I'm just out dated big time.**

 **Anyway, I'll watch it later, too much work from the last quarter of the year until now.**

 **For Kantai Collection fan, the characters' personalities are not 100% like you know from the game (Of course! The game isn't a realistic simulation like World of Warship, just mainly cute girls doing bizarre thing against sexy alien women opponent with worshiping RNG-sama for your victory. That's why their actual personalities can't blend too well in a real show.) I see that it'll be too unrealistic, however I'll remain some trait of them so you don't feel like they are too out of character.**

* * *

Wichita was on her delivery mission to drive this Chandler family to some safe-zone/secured zone or whatever called Olympia. They were in another sedan which the blonde driver randomly stole.

The trip was quiet, no one was talking after they told Wichita how to get there and simple introduction.

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However

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It was not a smooth trip because they encountered a road blockage ahead, a grey cloud of troubles was beginning to build up.

" _ **STOP THE CAR!**_ "

Covered lower-face men came out into view, they aimed their assault rifles to the car while taking cover behind a barrier block.

" _ **Hey-Hey! Easy…man..Ea-sy.**_ "

The cargo hadn't kept the window close so she heard them clearly, and she was confused of what happened here by these militias.

"Where're you going?" The grey hair guy asked, he looked like the man in charge here.

"My family needs help, they're sick." She was lazy to explain the whole story, so she cut it short with her assumed role at the moment.

"You can't go this way, turn around."

"What! This's the shortest way to Olympia-"

" **OLYMPIA CAN'T HELP YOU.** _**LEAVE!**_ " Another man threatened her.

"Hey! Calm down." She switched gear to R, the cargo started moving backward. The men ahead relaxed their stand, but then the car suddenly accelerated forward. The wooden barricade was blasted open in an instant, those who recover enough opened fire behind the speeding car.

"Enough!" The man in charge said.

"Should we go after them."

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"No, they will be dead soon."

* * *

Back to return-home Nathan James, the radio operator rushed to inform the captain of the situation development.

"Sir! Sir!"

"Take a breath, what is it?" Chanderl calmed him down, his crew looked like someone who just get a lotto jackpot

"I caught a new broadcast. It's another loop."

"Take me there."

So he now was in the radio center.

"It's looping around, here it comes."

Chandler paid attention of what it's coming.

"U.S.S. Nathan James, we are aware of your mission and we have secured a facility you may require. If you are within range of this signal, we urge you to reply over channel 1-6. I repeat, U.S.S. Nathan James, if you are still out there, please reply on V.H.F. channel 1-6."

"Get them online." He quickly ordered, this was a vivid light of hope that he might be searching for.

"Yes, sir!"

"This is U.S. Naval warship Nathan James hailing you on channel 1-6. We have heard your call over. This is U.S. Naval warship Nathan James hailing you on channel 1-6. We have heard your call over."

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Still, no response came back to confirm the good news.

"Keep trying, come and get me if anything else."

* * *

The Olympia was off-limit place where authorities tell the sick people to come and receive the treatment. The officers here wore mask but the infected didn't, such a simple categorizing method. Wichita stood out the most when she led the Chandler family into the process, because she looked as healthy as one can get among the local here. She was wise enough to leave her weapons in the locked car which she just park nearby.

The process was very very simple; you get the queue waiting for your turn to get the cure, get the cure in another room, then rest for your body immune system to adopt with the cure to destroy the virus, simple as that.

Wichita wasn't an expert in medical field, but the process she is told was too freaking rough, no name record, no health history consult. All this wasn't made sense.

But that was only her opinion, she finish delivered the family so her role ended here. That so she thought after she separateed with them if not for her stumble upon one of vaccinated in another area.

"Excuse me-"

Her apology was cut short as she looked at him, he was like a deadwood even his eyes hadn't been winking, and no breathing could be perceived.

"Hey! He's dead."

She exclaimed loudly to let the nearby authority know, but the reaction she got was extremely unexpected.

"Hey! What are you doing? You can't be here."

"Is that important right now?! He's dead, just do something, idiot!"

"You, get the hell out of here. There's no hope helping him."

"You coward! If you fear infection that much, let me do the CPR!"

Well, at least she knew basic life-saving course. Virus wasn't her worry, the time of dead was. The longer he had been dead, the very high percentage that the live-saving operation would fail. Before her white-glove-hand could touch the dead man, 2 security guards dragged her out of the area.

"Sorry lady, but let them take over from here. You're coming with us."

"Jesus!"

While she was frustrating over the poor quality of medical handling, some medical staffs whispered to one another and nodded before they came to her. With no words, they vaccinated her without applying alcohol cleaner.

"What's that for!? I'm not sick, you idiot!"

The guards were likely provoked but they were calmed down by the vaccinator.

"Leave her on the bed over there, she will **QUIET** soon."

After the guards left her on one of the military field beds, authorities acted like she isn't exist. She laid there for minutes until she realized why should she waste time napping here? Well, at least somebody noticed her frustrated departure when she flung the curtain open.

'Why isn't she dead?'

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She took her time surveying Olympia through and through, something was very-and-completely wrong here.

' **Why the hell is all vaccinated dead?** '

The longer she observed, the more her horror grew as she suddenly found out the best conclusion of what Olympia actually is: **HUMAN SLAUGHTERHOUSE**. She watched as the truck come and go, carrying full load of the corpse with each trip.

'Ow-shit! What have I gotten them into?'

At this moment, she lost all her faith in the authorities, who would trust a liar who lured people to die? Then, the past scene hours ago replayed in her mind again; when Chandler's family tried so hard to reach this place for the cure, only to find out that all of this was bullshit just to kill the sick. She gnashed her teeth in anger that she almost grinded them.

' _ **You will pay for this, You Asshole!**_ ' She cursed menacingly with promised violence.

* * *

"Captain! I've got Baltimore, and Mrs. Granderson is on the line."

"Did you say Granderson?"

"Yes,sir."

"Well, put her through."

Previously, Nathan James's captain was hanging out in the radio center when available for any update, his tempered heated up every passed minutes until it was over. His joy was only seconded to the cure completion. The familiar surname made him think of one of his bride crew: Alisha Granderson.

"Go ahead, sir."

"This is Tom Chandler, commanding office of the USS Nathan James, over."

" **Captain Chandler! You have no idea how good it is to hear your voice!** We thought you were lost at sea."

"No, ma'am. We're alive and well."

"I'm Amy Granderson, and I suppose an explanation is in order."

Mrs. Granderson told the whole story from when she was briefed on Nathan Jame's top secret mission to find the cure. After she had her daughter transferred to the ship, she declined the President offer to the underground bunker which she has the right to go there as a Vice-Chairman of President's defense policy board. Her gut told her it was riskier underground with confined air, space, and limited food supply. And after that, the bunker has been silent ever since.

"So, the government is gone…?" Right now, this was his most depressing issue.

"For the most part…..yes. There has been a breakdown of infrastructure, general panic, and…..of course, a tremendous loss of life. I've tried to execute a contingency plan, working with the state and local police to create safe zones. We've been hanging out as best as we can, praying for your return."

"Ma'am, then what about Fort Detrick? We hope it still intact because that's our hope to manufacture the cure."

"I don't know about that place, but here in my safe zone: **Avocet** , we have full-functioning lap with some researchers. So we might be able to help. Are you sure about the cure, captain?"

"Absolutely sure, ma'am. And we can be in Baltimore in the matters of hours."

* * *

'Just an ordinary disgusting day again' almost every staff at Olympia should had been wondering about this at one point since assigned here by the new local governor. They weren't sick so they had the right to be scared of the red-flu sick people coming wave after wave despite suitable biohazard protection. Avocet briefed them of what they'll perform and the necessary measure behind such outrageous procedure, purposefully killing the sick to save the healthy. Not many were agreed with the idea but Avocet persuaded (and forced) them to act in order to save humanity. The fact from Mrs. Granderson that the White House and the Cabinet have already fallen apart supported her claim very much.

Of course, they felt freaking terrible the first week. They betrayed the sick who has hope and trust in their eyes toward them after the announcement about the (fake) cure was spread, it was normally to be ashamed.

However, the repeat cycle of god knows how long they have been doing clouded their mind with executioner beheading sense. They didn't feel interact with human anymore, it was just a duty to get rid of contagious insects that eating this world.

But their mental problems would soon be gone the **hard way** , because the beautiful grim reaper was standing on mighty fury at their door step now. She brought 2 pieces of killing tools with her.

She walked fast and neck locked one of the medical staff, who was beginning an injection on a patient. She threatened with a revolver barrel under his chin, pulled hammer ready to take his life.

" _ **Speak!** _ Who's behind all of this?" An angry Wichita wasn't somebody to be messed with.

The unlucky guy found himself being locked by a strong woman, he tried to resist but fail, and it was shock to him to lose in strength to a woman.

" _ **Don't shoot!**_ I don't know what you're talking abo-"

Wichita didn't beat around the bush, she fired a 200 grain lead semi-wadcutter hollow point forty-four magnum bullet on his thigh. She didn't accept any excuse.

 _ **BANG!**_

" _ **ARRRR!**_ " The result was horrific; the pressured air blasted inside his muscle tissue, then the bullet made of lead began to twist and shatter apart from its less-hardess-metal property against solid bone, until its' momentum sent all the force through the other side with lemon-size exit hole. All of this chain-action happened in a flash even his neuro sense of pain perceived the strong electro-signal a millisecond late. He lost the strength to stand but Wichita held him by his neck.

The magnum round generally louder than other bullet types. In this closed space, it was more than two times louder than normal. She was the center of attention now.

" _ **Shut up!**_ **You guys don't cure the sick, you kill them. I'll show you the proof.** " She picked up one of the loaded syringe and injected the transparent liquid into one of the waiting sick people.

Not long after, he convulsed and fall, completely dead.

There's a saying a normal man can lift a heavy refrigerator when the house is on fire due to adrenaline rush, it could be applied here as well as the sick who almost unable to stand started slow running out of here for their life. The commotion began to affect the outside area.

" _ **Granderson! It's Amy Granderson!**_ "

'That's what I want to know.'

" _ **Go to Hell!**_ " She willingly wasted another ammo to put her injured hostage to misery. She hadn't looked at his corpse to confirm his demise, she was sure her bullet has done its' work.

The whole Olympia already noticed the break-out gun fight in the vaccination area, the civilian evacuated without doubt while some of the guards were trying to put the situation under control.

Wichita emptied her revolver quickly but none hit the targets, stimulated the hostile to take cover, before drew a more suitable weapon from her back, the .45 heavy sub machine gun.

' **You all are going to die here.** ' That was the last thing the police uniform men got from Wichita's face.

Unknown to both parties, there was a third party observing from afar.

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That wasn't strange, who could ignore such chaos?

* * *

"We've intercepted a transmission. The US Navy ship is due to make port in a matter of hours in Baltimore harbor." The suppose-goon-leader which Wichita met in the town was shaving peacefully in his hideout, then one of his minions interrupted him with an urgent report.

"What kind of ship, a frigate, a destroyer, or an aircraft carrier?"

"We don't know, sir. The signal was spotty, all we know is the name: **Nathan James**."

"That's the ship they've been calling for a week, haven't they? Well, it's highly that Granderson will come out of her cave herself. Tell everyone to be prepared-"

" _ **Boss! Urgent news!**_ " Another underling came to report with panic.

"What's the matter this time?"

" _ **OLYMPIA HAS FALLEN!**_ "

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 _ **!**_

* * *

"Port distance 1,000 yards, no threats, no contact."

XO listened with utmost care, he needed to be ready to support the captain at the moment notice. Usually, the captain shouldn't do something like going with the surveying group, but Slattery knew his friend very well of his stubbornness.

Everyone on the bridge seemed to used to Verniy's presence, she looked around with binocular.

"XO, do your Navy still use those old-day-more-gun vessel?" Suddenly, her eyes were focus on something very **catchy**.

"What do you mean?" Mike questioned.

"There" She identified what she means with her finger.

That thing was a warship for sure. However, the design was old but looked more heavy-weight than Nathan James with more than a dozen turrets which the main guns are bigger than Nathan James and also triple mounted. On her side was a big paintjob CAGN-45. The reason she wasn't on the radar should be because of she's still inactive.

"I recall that type of ship extinct from USN already, I haven't heard they bring back a relic from a graveyard to modernize or anything."

"I suspect she's one of us." Her monotone sounded neutral as ever, but her face showed that she think hard on the subject.

"Oh-please, one of your kind again!?" The XO yelled.

'I don't know she is friend or foe, I must warn Arashio about this'

"Excuse me" She didn't wait for permission when she picked up the radio.

"Arashio, do you copy, over?"

"Copy, I heard you loud and clear."

"Be cautious of the Heavy Cruiser on your Three, our unknown friend(s) is in hiding."

"Thanks, she doesn't appear on my radar, so she might be inactive. I'll go and check, you go along with Nathan James, over."

"Roger that."

"Well, you heard her." She nodded to Mike.

"You better ask me first next time, Verniy-"

"Aye,sir XO"

She shut Mike up half way, they stared at each other for a moment before Mike broke the contact to the other way, what he want to scold the little girl admiral vanished entirely by dead-fish eyes.

* * *

"Perimeter secure." Green reported back to the ship.

"Here they come." Tom spoke to the team.

Like Chandler, Mrs. Granderson also came in group with the vans caravan to meet him herself.

"Hi, captain! Now that you're here, we can escort you to our safe-zone before we talk."

"Why you so rush? Is the city not safe, Ma'am?"

"Yes, there're many rogue factions in here. Since the central government and local government are gone, many people use this opportunity to create outlaw gangs. The most recent incident is that our nursing center just got attacked. I'll leave Lieutenant Norris with his men to your ship to update the situation."

When Chandler grasped the city situation, he no longer relaxed. Then both the Navy and the recent established government retreated from the port to the HQ and the ship.

* * *

About an hour earlier, Tom's father witnessed the fall of said Olympia.

Jed Chandler was no stranger to violent act as he used to serve in the Army. However, his son's family were the opposite. Despite his fatal condition, he must soothe the fear of them, from just finished brutal gun fight in Olympia.

The gun power smelled heavily in the air, Wichita alone had been standing among the dead lying round as a victorious survivor. Even her posture and breathing were trembling, it was a wonder to Jed's eyes how she can still stand after being hit several times from vivid bloody holes, did she take morphine or heroine to cut off sense of pain before coming here?

When the alertness subsided, it was replaced by an anger.

"Why are you doing this?" His shouted wasn't different from talk with his weak body.

Somehow, the injured victor heard him.

"You…have…no…idea…they…trick….you." She huffed.

"What?"

She grunted while reaching for the fallen sealed glass tube with soft cover, ready for the syringe to pierce through.

"This…..cures…..nothing…..It…..will….just….kill…you." She glanced at the colour-crystal-liquid within with sneer.

There shouldn't be no one here aside from Chandler family, Wichita, and dead bodies in this area anymore, suddenly an old sick man just awoke after a very deep sleep which means he slept through a killing field soundly(?)

"Let…..me…show…you…the…proof." She jammed the point edge into his limb, pressed the proclaimed not-cure through his vein.

Seconds later, he met the same fate as her first victim and his body ceased all the functions and showed no sign of life; he wasn't breathing, his eyes closed.

Darien Chandler wouldn't believe this, they tried their hardest to get to this place only to find out that they had been tricked. She couldn't accept the harsh truth, the old man corpse guaranteed that Wichita told her the truth because there was no pulse in him.

" _ **NOOOOOOOOOOO! Arg!**_ "

Her despair cry was so intense; she coughed and vomited huge quantity of blood enough to pain the whole floor red: looked like she was on her final phase of the red flu symptoms.

" _ **MOM!/DARIEN!**_ "

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If Chandler family paid attention on Wichita, they would know that all her wounds were beginning to heal(!) Wichita finally sighed and escaped the heart-breaking scene. She let them have their time, seeing as they would have fallen eventually one by one. She didn't want to interrupt their final moment together. Besides, she knew the mastermind behind this inhuman plan. She must back to her safe house to plan her future movement.

'Amy Granderson, **I don't know who you are, but I will find you, and I WILL KILL YOU.** '

* * *

'She'd better be an ally.'

Arashio risked herself into coming in a point blank range of the heavy cruiser. She couldn't remember if she used to battle against her, but her intimidated appearance made Arashio become restless. The fact of different class and she got damage (from the fight with Russian battle cruiser) weighted more to her worry.

She didn't berth her ship and tie with the warp poles like any vessel normally did, she just anchored alongside the target CA instead. She would be able to flank away faster in case of emergency. Arashio fired a hook sling to another ship and climbed across.

She raised her portable radio, intend to speak something to the USS, but then she changed her mind.

'No need to worry them for nothing~'

Aside from the radio, she only had pistol with a few spare magazines strapped with her thighs. Many would call her careless, but she felt there's no one on the ship; it looked so DEAD. That was why she takes a walk at a leisure steps on the questionable cruiser.

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She enjoyed exploring so much that she forgot time, until she was unknowingly locked inside a department.

'Strange? Why can't I open any door now?'

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' **I'm TRAPPED!?** '

* * *

Not far away from the American CAGN-45, Wichita was very suspicious of the smaller vessel she found connected to her home base.

'This might belong to the rat.'

It appeared that the first step that the brown hair girl takes on this ship, she was under surveillance of the ship owner, not by camera but by steal floor. How she couldn't, every single area on the ship was like her nerve! She knew exactly where whoever steps on her ship went, so she locked the intruder inside when the opportunity arise.

Now, she went straight to the partition where she keep the unwanted guest. She readied a revolver as suitable weapon in limited space before unlocking the door.

 _ **CLICK!**_

The heavy unlocking sound echoed through the inner quiet ship.

"What are you doing here, girl?" A girl as intruder was the last thing the ship owner imagined. She first highly expected to meet a full-grown man.

However, Wichita wasn't careless as to lower her guard. The girl was too calm for her age in this situation, not to mention about half-conceal pistol under her pinafore.

"I found this ship empty so I decided to look around" Arashio saw no reason to offend, she was at this advantage here. The other side was full of weapons. She wasn't panic because if the other woman wants to truly shoot her, she might have done it the moment she met her. From her view, the blonde was a well built woman, those muscle spoke clearly of her parameter.

" **Are you perhaps come from that smaller warship alone?** "

"You're correct."

When the Asian girl confirmed the American suspicion, both female knew they're the same.

"So, whose navy are you from….. **Liberator**?" At this key word, Arashio giggled. Another encounter with one of her kind, and this time highly belonged to the old enemy navy.

"I'm Arashio from the IJN."

At the mention of IJN, Wichita's eyes became more hardened with anger. Then, her finger began to pull the trigger.

" _ **Wait!**_ I'm coming here with the USS Nathan James."

"What?" The name of United States Ship seemed very effective to stop whatever abusing thing she plan to do with the younger looking girl.

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"Tell me." Wichita wanted to hear the story which got her attention, her finger moved to the trigger guard for the time being.

* * *

Chandler arrived at Amy's stronghold. Upon hearing the details of what she had been doing, such as set up new order, set up sick camp known as Olympia (Yes, it was a sick camp. But she never told him what she actually did there), future plan for survivors, etc.

Then, came the recent details of Olympia's sabotage.

"It's a good idea I left Dr. Scott on the ship." CO spoke his mind when he heard the full details.

"No matter what, we need her here so she can share her knowledge with our team about the cure."

"I don't recommend that, Ma'am. If the enemy is able to sabotage your well guard place, there's no reason to believe that they can't done it here as well."

"Captain, I know your point. But I assure you that our main force station here, Avocet won't fall that easily." Mrs. Granderson didn't like the direction the conversation is going. At first she was sure that the captain will follow her command like usual protocol (considered her former status), but his tone was fully against her and seemed to not back down.

"I'm not too sure about that, Ma'am." 'What's with her to be this impatient?' Tom analyzed, his ship was still very much safer than this building. They could retreat back to the ocean anytime if the situation on land looks bad.

Granderson quieted down for a moment before she formed a new plan.

"We will discuss this later then, captain. If you need anything, just tell my staff."

She excused herself with her right-hand man.

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"Tell Lieutenant Norris to find Dr. Scott and bring her here no matter what, I give him full authority."

"Yes, Ma'am."

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At the same time, he borrowed radio and van from Avocet and drove out with his remaining crew to find out more about the local, he had little hope to find his family but it didn't mean he shouldn't try.

"This is Tom Chander, U.S. Navy, looking for Jed Chandler in Clearwater, Virginia, over."

He repeated in every minute during the driving, the town scenery was close to zombie apocalypse movie.

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Heaven blessed him. He saw three familiar figures slowly walked out from a stadium like building. Tom stomped the brake immediately causing the panic in the car.

"What's the matter, captain?" Inquired Master Chief.

" **That's them!** "

He ran to his family without waiting, he noticed one person's missing.

"POP!"

"Tom!?"

His family was very happy to see him, he injected the vaccine into them right away before continued the conversation.

"You'll be fine, that's the vaccine. Where's Darien?"

At that question, his children started sobbing while his father answered with tottered voice.

"Sh…She's DEAD."

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Tom was shocked with the news, and was much more when he met her lifeless body in the stadium.

As soldier, he shouldn't shed tear in any situation, but this time he wanted an exception. He cried, he hugged her, he didn't even care his subordinate staring.

Master Chief, Green, and Burk nodded to one another. Green and Burk excused themselves to secure surrounding parameter, left a second senior of group to protect the captain.

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When the sadness settled, Chandler was back on reality. His father told him everything, from when he met Wichita until the truth of Olympia. Tom had suspicious about Wichita (from the obvious fact that she alone made this place fall, and still alive after being shots) but that could wait, if it was truly as his father said then his ship was in danger right now. Mrs. Granderson has been planning something not good.

"Nathan James, come in!"

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"Damnit! We can't get through." Swore the captain to the radio. Even the borrowed set was useless.

"Everybody get in the car! We will back to the ship now!"

* * *

 _ **Bang!**_

Slattery was very confused about what the fuck is going on!? He welcomed the ground unit warmly, exchanged information with nice atmosphere. Then suddenly, his bridge crew was shot point black and died by the previously friendly state police.

" _ **Whoa! Whoa!**_ " Slattery paralyzed, he didn't know even what he said is mean. Verniy was also stunned, though she was better than the XO in knowing that something was on the move here.

Norris pointed the black Glock 17 at him.

"Commander, I want you to get on the horn and give the order to drop anchor. You muster all your crew on the flight deck and you open up the door to the helo bay where you're storing the cure and everything."

" _ **I'm not giving you a goddamn thing, you son of a bitch!**_ I don't know what you're plan is here, but this is my ship!"

The XO responded in anger. The bridge crew was uncertain of their fate, fortunately for the Russsian girl that nobody paid attention to her, they would know for sure that she's thinking something and looked too calm for the girl her appearance.

"You'll do what I say, or I'll pick-off your entire crew one-by-one. My troopers are everywhere, **this ship is mine now!** " The police said arrogantly.

Verniy evaluated the situation; the ship was under siege, the crew was threatened to follow order. Her Russian style thinking was at work here, which would conflict with the American one. American usually based most things on negotiation to guarantee their advantage, Win-win situation, or the least loss. Conversely with the Russian who was well known for direct violence, brutal and simple method in dealing with the many things, the lost was mostly acceptable as long as it worth.

So, she concluded that either they use this alternative to avoid difficulty in killing the entire crew or to bluff the XO as they hadn't enough bullets to spare.

Later, Dr. Scott and Tophet's family were present at the bridge by one of the troopers. The state police then requested more men via his frequency in transport everything related to the red flu cure. About half an hour later, they arrived by the speed boat along with pair of choppers.

"Wait! She needs to go with us too." Dr. Scott pointed to the silver hair girl.

"Why?" Norris just had time to actually focus on the girl, something weren't normal with her. He wasn't a psychologist, but he guessed most innocent kids should be crying emotionally like hell now that they saw some fresh drop dead right before their eyes. This kid on the contrary: remain stoic like she used to it.

"That's because she's the natural immune to this outbreak. Her blood is the important component of the vaccine."

Verniy didn't know why Dr. Scott tells them like that; still she kept silence to play along as she saw the plea on her eyes.

Granderson's underlings quickly transported them to their H/O, unaware that one of them was the **wolf in sheep's clothing**.

* * *

"That's a ridiculous tale you told me." Wichita hand was free of weapon, she already sat along Arashio on the metal floor in a friend-zone.

The girl smiled.

"I swear I'm telling the truth. Let Nathan James confirm if you don't believe me."

'Strange…..Nathan James doesn't even call me once since I parted. They're not the forgetful type...especially my old acquaintance'

* * *

The hostility situation on the USN destroyer was temporary on halt by a sudden incoming radio call.

" **Nathan James, report status, over** "

The voice of a teenage girl confused the Maryland state policemen, but to the Nathan James' crew, it was the light at the end of the tunnel.

* * *

 **Another chapter finished. Before publish this, I have to edit many plot holes on the 1st and 2nd drafts. As always, I welcome your comments and opinions. Till next time.**


	8. Meeting point

I don't know what's in store for me in Season 5 which has been confirmed for production long time ago. If it's like Season 4 then I'll be disappointed.

From the timeline, the most peak duration of the series is the second season: either plot or warfare. When think about submarine warfare, we always stuck with the submarine perspective like U-571 (Aside from distorted history, it is one of the best surreal Submarine movie I have ever watched), The Hunt for Red October (I've to comeback to watch regularly), Das Boots (So old, but so good nonetheless), etc. However, this season two choose to view from destroyer perspective which is new to me. The excitement is great as the other way around so I like it.

* * *

Wichita waited patiently for the confirmation, she got new worry issue to deal with instead. The scene of Arashio begin to suspect of Nathan James' silence was clear indication. The distance and signal quality shouldn't be the problem, they were close within artillery reach.

"Nathan James, I repeat, status report?"

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"We heard you, Arashio, We got busy here talking with the local survivors, over." Strained voice of XO answered.

"That's it!? Where's the Captain?" Normally, Chandler would be the one answering if he's present. And it was abnormal for military to give late response in normal circumstance.

"The captain, Dr. Scott's team, and your friend have been **INVITED** by Mrs. Amy Granderson to the safe zone, that's all, we're on radio silence, over."

"Slattery! _**Hey Slattery!**_ " She waited for the response, but it seemed the other side already turn off the radio.

' **What's going on here?** ' The unusual tone and answer from Nathan James confused her. His tone wasn't happy even they meet other survivors, and his answer was rush like he's on time limit-

" _ **Ow..SHIT! Amy Granderson!?**_ Your friend is in **BIGGG** trouble."

Now, the pale face and curse of Wichita had weighted her more on the pessimistic though.

"What's the matter?"

"Granderson is the bad guy here, I learned the hard way that she lure innocent sick people to the fake cure center just to kill them. And I don't know what's her other evil plan is."

The heavy cruiser information got the destroyer's interest now from what she said.

"Explain."

Wichita repeated what she sees and done again at Olympia, Arashio had a better view of what Granderson was trying to do. The fact that Arashio isn't there to witness, helped her very much in analyzing things unlike Wichita who's emotionally affected.

'She's trying to keep the survival alive by finding the easiest a way to get rid of the infected walking around town. It sounds cruel but I guess it must be done to prolong the living.' Arashio gave Amy Granderson a benefit of doubt since she had no idea of other factors which might force her to execute this. However, she didn't ignore information from Wichita, and that made her worry about the involvement of Nathan James.

"I'll go back to James. Can you do me a favor?"

"Hey you! I'm not your servant. I'm not gonna do anything, I have Amy Granderson to kill."

" **That's perfect!** Could you find Tom Chandler or Verniy along your killing quest, please? A light-grey-hair man in US navy uniform and a long-silver-hair girl with blue eyes, that's it, thank you."

Arashio quickly ended the conversation in her favor and returned to her ship, she flanked away to check on the US destroyer.

'That Girl! Does she expect me to find them with her shitty info? Fuck!' Her action enraged Wichita to some degree. Anyway, she sighed as an unwillingly acceptance a minute later.

.

.

.

.

'Chandler huh? Maybe just a coincidence'

* * *

"Fuu…Satisfy?"

The XO turned off the radio under the strict watch of Granderson's troopers. At first, they allowed Mike to answer the radio to prevent suspicion, then they signaled him to cut the communication quickly once the conversation seemed far to be closed.

Later the whole crew including Tex, the mercenary, was forced to stay inside the helo bay. They were unofficially the prisoner of war(?) now, well supposedly.

" **Chief!** There's a ship coming in."

Arashio sailed flank speed toward Nathan James from afar, she lowered the engine once she got some distance away. Within binoculars' range from her bridge, she saw some strange uniform on the like, looked like a special force of SWAT team. The flying helicopter above the ship added more suspicion to her.

"Nathan James, What's your status?" She used her loud speaker this time. All her combat system was green, ready to engage. The familiar girly voice alerted everyone.

"I'll open full-fire on your ship if you don't explain your story. I'll give you 5 minutes."

Norris was new to this situation, the scale exceeded every case he handled. He decided to restore the bridge crew in order to handle this in a rush.

" _ **Bring the bridge crew to me, Now!**_ "

Slattery once again returned to his place along the others, he needed not to ask of what they required him for.

"You! Just do something to stop this madness, I don't care how you do it. _**Do it NOW!**_ "

"Arashio, we copy, We've reached the State so you're free now, over." If not for his disadvantage position, he would snort at the fat police before he answered the radio.

"Is that all you want to say?" Arashio was nearly 100% sure that something happened on Nathan James.

"That is all."

Mike saw Arashio sail way; he disappointed that he has to give up hope of take back ship control based on Arashio interferance, on the other hand, he felt relief because he feared that Tom may kill him if he sacrifice his ship just to kill some armed group.

* * *

It was very late in the evening, and the moving down sunset signaled the ending of standard working time. However, someone would likely be working over time without OT charge from the USN. (Just forget about this, who cares about OT in this mess up apocalypse.)

" _ **Damn it!**_ " The outburst belonged to Chandler.

Nathan James turned off all the communicating devise, so that left his team blind to the ship status, assuming the worst, his crew was likely wiped out by Granderson's men. Everybody on the car felt unsecured from the development.

 _ **Giggle(?)**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

"Don't worry. Slattery's still alive, but I can't say the same for the others." The familiar girl voice spoke near him after short giggle.

"How do you know?" Normally, Tom would need her to tell him about what she has been doing until this meeting. But that wasn't important, he had his ship to worry.

Chandler's action spoke high volume of familiarity, he knew exactly who she is along with his remaining crew. That left only his family to wonder how Tom is acquaintance with this girl whose age could be his daughter; and more importantly, who was she?

"I just talked to him before coming here. He hasn't told me much via the radio; though the point's still there, Dr. Scott and Verniy were escorted out of the ship from Amy Granderson's order to her base."

His frustration increased by another level, he cared for his ship but he also cared for Dr. Scott (Not in a romantic way, just work responsibility only). The cold fact was he lacks the man power to do both jobs right now, even focus on one job he doubted it will go well.

In the end, he chose Dr. Scott, as the fate of mankind, over his ship.

"We will rescue Dr. Scott. Get on the car. Arashio You'll be coming with us."

'So he knew' His action told her clearly that he's aware of the bad news regards Mrs. Anderson.

"Shouldn't it be better if I take care of your ship? It's not going to be any better for only one additional member in your assault team."

"How can you be so sure about that?"

"Just a hunch. Besides, **you already have one more additional ally-** "

 _ **KABOOM!**_

Just right after Arashio's sentence, an explosion sound was heard coming from Avocet.

"Her name is Wichita, very confident woman if you asked me. So, you just have to get over with her independent action." Arashio smiled, imagining Wichita firing RPG like Rambo.

* * *

Arashio imagination was not far from the mark, but RPG could be too mainstream from Wichita's taste.

Wichita dropped the smoked shoulder-launched multipurpose assault weapon, the same time as its' high-explosive dual-purpose collided with the unfortunate guard. The sound of Mk-153 SMAW hitting him couldn't compare with the short scream of said guard, who was impaled, dragged by the rocket, and exploded afterward.

Now, without the ruinous coat, she moved quickly with her sub-machine gun in hands. She mercy killed another guard who suffered shock blast by a head-shot. She didn't care if she has to solo this mission or even die, she set her goal and she would see it to the end.

Fortunately, she got coincident back-up.

* * *

The grey hair man who Wichita had met during the ride was actually a leader of resistance force who oppose Avocet's way of setting unacceptable order. He had a plan for his rebel group to attack Amy's HQ for some times, today was the day of execution.

Due to being underground right under the basement of target building, he didn't know someone unintentionally attract attention for him at the front door. So he was quite surprised that he found less guard than he anticipated after his force blew a hole from underground by dynamites.

* * *

Dr. Scott was with Verniy as she gave excuse that Verniy was still a little girl who need guardian figure near her. Of cause, Verniy was fully against this humiliating idea at first. But she forced herself to let go of some teary act to fool them. It succeeded well.

First boom by Wichita, followed by a louder building shaking sound from the rebel, agitated chaos in the Avocet's order. Both explosion mainly lessen the guard where Verniy, who was in the process of blood sucking, lied. The followed continuous firing battle confirmed that the situation wasn't under control anymore.

Verniy no longer saw any necessity to keep a sheep clothing on, it was time for the silver wolf to start hunting.

She picked up a surgery knife on a nearby tray and flung it to the only armed man in the room, she didn't even glance at the outcome because she absolutely trust in her precision. Another man (which she couldn't remember his name, but his name was something like Hamada….maybe) who's in charge of her operation was struck in the crotch. He seemed too painful to think of anything for a few seconds and would be continued for more seconds if Verniy hadn't decided to break his neck, putting him out of misery.

Dr. Scott shocked about what happened in the blink of an eye. The girl just lively killed two men like a secret service agent in front of her eyes.

"Doctor! We're out of here, follow me!"

"Hey! Shouldn't we wait after the fight die down?"

"We don't know who attack this time, and I guarantee you that they're not Nathan James' crew." Verniy was highly sure. From her observation, Nathan James' CO was not the violent type. This loud opening act was usually the Russian style Spetsnaz.

Normal civilian would think like Rachel Scott, but for the experienced killer it was the best time to break out of this comfortable prison.

She quickly looted the weapons from the dying guard, who got flung-knife from Verniy in the dead center of the Adam's apple. Verniy pulled the knife back before stabbed him in the heart to ensure his death. She slide the Beretta 92sb along with the spares magazines to Dr. Scott after she finish checking the newly acquired MP5K and spares magazines.

"Follow me quick if you want to get out of here."

"We have to save Quincy and his family, do you know where they are?"

"Is it the time to worry about your assistance? Your safety is more important now." For Verniy, Dr. Scott held the whole know-how of the cure, so she needed to get her out of here as soon as possible. Quincy was just an extra now in her opinion.

" _ **He's not just Assistance!** _ He's my close friend, I won't go without them."

Rachel's protest sparked anger of the Russian fleet admiral, as strong as she wanted to argue, now wasn't the best time. So she thought of temporary solution to persuade Dr. Scott.

"We may find them along the way, let's go." She wasted no time to hear respond, she dashed out immediately.

Dr. Scott has no choice but to follow. She prayed for their safety, but would her prayer be answered in kind? It remained a mystery.

* * *

Night time had come to signal most of the living being of their sleep time. Though on the Nathan James, everyone was unable to sleep. How could they sleep while the high tension was still in every square inches of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer? Especially in the helo bay where most of the crew was made prisoners, surveillanced by 6 armed guards.

The most comfortable position would be the patrol, which one of them humming relaxingly. But his easy-going job just turned out to be more critical as he saw a wet girl on the starboard side walkway.

Right after that, something flashed near the girl and his throat burned before his consciousness shut down.

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'Ara-ara~..that's close'

Turn out the girl was none other than Arashio, she retrieved the knife from his throat and performed quick body inspection. She acquired a side arm and a sub-machine gun from the dead plus the bulletproof rigging vest. She destroyed the corpse by throwing it in the ocean, the splash was quite loud but she hoped nobody notice. The vest helped her much on drying her of the dripping water, while she was still wet, the dripping frequency was slower and slower as minutes passed. Lucky for her, she didn't meet more enemy.

'Where's the rest of the crew?'

It was risky to check randomly, she alone against unknown number of enemies, she didn't like this odd one bit.

While she was thinking of the next step, the light bulb near her turned on and off which startled her a little. It repeated for a while until she noticed something, the flickering was too unnatural. She didn't know what it means, she tried to decode it somehow. The first code she for decoding was Morse-code, the most common, simple, and well known for professional military personnel.

Bingo! There was someone who escapes being detention. However, seemed like this is just a one-way communication, she couldn't think of how to send her message. Military sign language wasn't as complete as deaf-ear sign language. Though, at least she got an idea where to find him.

* * *

Slattery thought at first that his way of communication failed, he switched the camera to see for updates on the situation in various parts of the ship.

The reason he's the exception from the rest of the crew, and had been here alone in the control room, was because the state police want to separate him. He was forced to be locked up in the random cell they choose. But he got lucky that the room had more than one way out, so he used another passage to find shelter in another room, which he ended up here.

He couldn't do much in here; he mainly lacked the equipment to oppose them. What he can do was just surveillance through the cameras around the ship for something to rely on while his mind was in the dark about the solution to liberate his ship. Until his eyes stumbled upon an unexpected girl who he thought alreฟdy gone her way, since then he tried to communicate with her using what he has in control, light switches.

It took her some times to get his message of 'Hey, I'm your ally.'. Nevertheless, it got stuck there as she don't know how to proper respond from limited equipment. After that she got on her way to somewhere which he prayed nobody finds her.

He heard soft knock at his door step: followed by hatch opened slowly.

"I figure **the ally** should be here." She faintly smiled upon realizing who is the ally.

"Well, that's good. I'm worry where you will go."

"It's not hard to guess; you see me through the camera and you can control the switch, so I've a good idea where you are." She closed the hatch after coming in. She handed over the bulletproof vest and the MP7 sub-machine gun to Mike.

"You can have the main gun, just pistol is enough for me." Mike didn't like to burden a girl(?) even though he knew she's a Navy like himself.

"I think it through already; you don't have a second chance like I do thus heavier weapon is more suitable to you."

"Besides-"

She readied the fresh looted Glock 35 (.40 caliber) and brought out her own concealed Walter PPK under her skirt (There's a good reason why British Secret Service double-o-seven is obsessed with this German model. It's so balance; it packs enough accuracy and suitable fire power (.380) within a small size.).

"I've got another gun with me." She smiled. "What should we do then, XO?"

Mike quickly showed her the enemy's position forces on the USS Nathan James. There were minorities in the cafeteria and CIC, the majority of them stationed in the helo bay with most of the crew.

"Of course, we must take back our ship!"

"Another question then, where should we take care of first?" They knew what to do, but execution plan had to be made first.

* * *

"Hell! She already shredded the entrance."

Chandler's group arrived at Avocet after Wichita's assault. He told his family to remain hidden in the car while he and his team storming the place. He abandoned his M4 model for his father as a mean of defense, that made him left with P226 Navy side arm.

"Master Chief! You go find Dr. Scott with Lt. Green. Lt. Burk! You're coming with me."

They acted as ordered, Master Chief took the upper floor so that left him the ground floor. There was gun firing sound from many direction, but the frequency wasn't that much, meaning that this building had been clear mostly with a few stray. Suddenly, a gun fight sound occurred near his position. He signaled his subordinate to hide, just a split second later a pair of struggling female dove out of the corner.

One girl was Verniy for sure, it should be strange to not remember such a tiny outstanding figure. Another was an unknown face older-bustier blonde woman, but looked intimidate like Verniy. They were fighting in gun kata style, sprayed bullet in opponent direction as soon as they saw the opening; Verniy held slightly advantage over quantities from duel-wielding Baretta pistols, though the unknown blonde was able to counter with single longer weapon, UMP-45.

Both were professional in their own way, so he decided to end this fight to separate Verniy from the chaos in order to ask about Dr. Scott.

 _ **Bang! Bang! Bang!**_

" _ **CEASE FIGHTING! US NAVY!**_ "

The fighters concentrated too much on each other so they paid no attention to the surrounding. Thus, the extreme astonishment from the ship commander's present fully made them push off each other. Upon perceiving that the new comer was Chandler, the tiny one relaxed her stance, but thing was different with Wichita who was completely stranger.

"Name and class, sailor?" Wichita might sound harsh, but who could blame her, she just faced heavy close quarter combat a second ago so the adrenaline was still high. However, the **US Navy** Tom just spoke helped much to restrain Wichita to mark him another enemy.

"Tom Chandler, Captain of USS Nathan James."

.

.

.

"You look younger than I thought, Captain." Wichita screened Tom from head to toe before saying that.

"Do you know me?"

"No. An Asian girl told me to look for you and Verniy: a light-grey-hair man in US navy uniform and a long-silver-hair girl with blue eyes. I assumed you should looked older from her short description." Her hands formed a camera frame shape and looked through with one eye at Chandler.

"Hold on! An Asian girl you spoke of, is her name Arashio?" Verniy was highly sure of which way the conversation will take turn.

"That's right! Wait a second, how come did you know it?"

"Because she's my acquaintance, and I'm the second person that she asked you to look for." The speaker facepalmed.

The revealation stunned Wichita very much. Then, the description totally hit the mark when she had time to pay attention to the silver-hair girl with blue eyes.

" ** _What the hell!_** Why shouldn't you tell me your name sooner? This's a waste of my time that should be used for hunting Amy Granderson!" Wichita shouted furiously at the girl.

"You can't blame me on this. This is enemy territory here, I've the right to assume anyone who I don't know to be enemy. In the first place, we might get to know each other orally if you weren't shooting me right away. It's natural that I fought back." Verniy countered with her trademark poker-face.

This fueled her fury even more. Wichita snorted, she was preparing to find a good counter.

Seeing that the antagonizing between the two female likely won't end easily, someone must intervened to stop this pointless argument.

"Verniy, where's Dr. Scott?!" To be expected, Tom took up the role.

"Dr. Scott…..oh, right! Follow me, she's in hiding now because of her." Verniy used this opportunity to excuse herself from Wichita, not forgot to throw a last insult at the blonde.

.

.

.

.

The event development took turn with extreme angle, they found Dr. Scott give surrendered hand sign to another group that could be assumed to be resistance group.

The four fresh-joint force: Chandler, Burk, Wichita, and Verniy, readied their weapon to confront the armed group. The opposing group was also responded in kind by readied weapons too.

"Hey! I can explain this. They're not our enemy." She turned back half way to tell the captain's group. The armed leader thought he forget something when he see the very noticeable blonde.

Wichita eyed them carefully, until she saw a familiar face at the head of the resistant crowd, who was looking at her intensely.

.

.

" ** _You?!_** " Coincidently, the resistance leader, who used to shot Wichita car at their first encounter, realized this as well.

"You know each other?" Chandler asked. Nathan James official crew seemed to be the most confused of them all.

Wichita knew exactly that there will be long explanation to do, and she had confidence that the captain won't like it.

* * *

Back on the DDG-151, Mike and Arashio planned that they will seize the control over small parts of the ship first, then continue to a larger area until end up at the helo bay where most of the crew were kept.

Due to the lack of manpower, Anderson's troopers were afraid to leave their respective area from the fear of rebellious rising action. So they stationed as they were, not moving out of the area even many gun fire sound pop up from various parts of the building.

This turned out to be in favor for Arashio and Slattery, they kept killing and gaining more and more force through the process. However, the important obstruct of the last phase was the chopper and the helo bay group.

"How do we rescue them? I doubt some crew will end up as collateral damage." Arashio asked Slattery, which included the other crew for ideas.

"It's hard. One of the option is to toss flash bang in there…..then search and destroy." Tossed idea from Tex, the only black-water guy on the ship.

"Hey! I don't agree to that. They are my ship crew!" Slattery protested.

"Assume that it goes well, what about the chopper?" Arashio skipped to the next course of action, while her brain was still working for the best solution for the rescue operation.

"You need to ask? I'm gladly to let loose a single Tomahawk to bring it down!"

"Hey-hey! You gonna burn a million dollar just like that, Deputy Captain? Think again." Tex tried to be humored, but he was at least serious about the question. The copter was not fully attack helicopter by birth like Cobra or Apache, even he must think twice to shoot it down by a stinger.

"What else's in your armory aside from standard assault rifle and pistol?"

"Well…It has hand grenades, knives,…um…-"

"We have night-vision equipments, sniper rifles, and other guns accessory, sir." One armory crew fill in the blank.

"Night vision! That's it. We can force the operation in our favor."

"Then it settle, you rescue your men, I will handle the copter." Arashio suddenly ran.

"Hey girl! Let me help!." Tex quickly followed, rescue operation was not his favored job.

* * *

"So, how do we go against the chopper?"

"I'll knock it off the sky with hand grenade." The destroyer girl answered while she was collecting a few M26 grenades from the wooden box in an armory.

"Why not using M203? Are you confident in your throwing?"

"It's a better way, the grenade will always blast after seconds delayed of lug ejection. However, the same can't be said for the 40 mm. grenade bullet. Its' safety mechanism is annoying."

"Make sense." Tex nodded. Then, he picked up a light machine gun along with a hundred-round box magazine.

"But we should have plan B."

The girl just only smile.

.

.

Even though outside was dark, Arashio could see the airborne vehicle position from its' nose search light clearly.

She removed the safety pin ring, but kept her hand tight so the fuse is still in place. She was waiting for an ideal angle to throw.

The right moment had come, she let the lug sprang out and threw them in a wide arc, expected to explode upon reaching target in the front.

 _ **BOOM!**_

Arashio first worried about the destructive power of the current hand grenade which focus more on fragmented killing pieces rather than explosive power. She smiled a little when the copter lose its' stability, throwing the gunner off before it was starting to descent wildly. This mean it's still work. Lastly, the fallen hit the ocean surface hard next to starboard side.

'I have more faith in pineapple, I'm lucky that the lemon works well-'

The gun fire from somewhere within the ship interrupted her though.

"I'm going on ahead, girl!"

She smiled at the back of the running mercenary, her smile slowly faded when she turn her attention to the half-sunk chopper. She turned on her pocket personal searchlight on her dress strap. It appeared that the gunner survive with wounds from the grenade shrapnel. She handed up with Glock 35, pulled the slide, and aim at him.

" _ **I yield! Don't shoot!**_ "

 _ **Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!**_ -

" **Stop!** Arh!"

 _ **Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!**_

"Pl…"

 _ **Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!**_ Click!

Due to the distance and rough aim, not all of her shots hit the mark. However, more than half of them created bloody red dots on the chopper's gunner.

Arashio watched the dead silently through the slide-lock pistol open iron sight, it exhausted visible smoke out of the barrel and ejection port from the heavy fire. Fortunately that there was no one on the outer deck, otherwise she would be surely subjected to court-martial for the act of killing the surrendred in cold-blood. the neutral expression on her face did not do any good work to lighten the accusation. She looked like a completely different person from the easy going and seductive girl the USS Nathan James used to know.

'No hard feeling, dear. Slayer must always expected to be slain, that's the rule.'

* * *

As the season 3 and 4 story weight very light compare to season 1 and 2. It seems it's nearly time for more original elements to be added more to the story.

Anyway, hope season 5 will get me fire up again.


	9. Rogue

From the trailer I have watched for The Last Ship season 5, I highly doubt it will reach the same peak as season 2. But I am still waiting nonetheless.

When will the season 5 come? Is it this September? I'm very keen to watch it.

* * *

"Let's talk later, Killing Granderson comes first!" Wichita ignored the confrontation by bringing her most important priority out to the public.

"You have a point, but you must let me talk to her first." Respond from Andrew Thorwal, self-proclaim resistance leader.

" _ **Suit yourself, get moving guys!**_ " Wichita went ahead to the upper floor, followed by the groups.

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.

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A while later, she found 2 sailors stuck behind a random barricade from intense fire. She made assumption that they are with Chandler so she helped; the .45 ACP sub-machine gun in her hand burst out.

Men were very frightened that their lives will meet an end in the moment, until they realized they are not the target of a new attacker.

Wichita paused around the half of magazine but still kept aiming; she lured the opponents in thinking it is safe to counter-attack now, the 2 armed men get fired upon with the rest of the magazine because their fingers were not fast enough.

" _ **Clear!**_ "

Before Master Chief could open his mouth to speak with Wichita, the rest of the followers caught up to her.

"Master Chief, Green, you OK there?" Of course, Chandler was included within this group.

"We're alright, sir. But we haven't found Doctor and the **Fleet Admiral** yet." Green didn't sound sarcastic at all when mentioning about Verniy. However, this made outsider like Wichita flinch a little.

'Don't tell me…..' Wichita put together all information regards Verniy, while she was staring wide eyes to Verniy in which the shorter girl stared back blankly. She finally found the conclusion the same time Chandler pushed the group to go ahead.

"We already found those two, our last job here is to arrest Amy Granderson."

"Not arrest her, **Kill her.** "

Everybody looked at Wichita after she had said it. It was too visible that she is the most eager one to exterminate the self-proclaim chief official here, even the resistance's hunger for revenge was not equal to her quarter.

"Whatever, let's go and find her first, please. I'm tired of repeating this." Thorwal begged out of tiredness.

Along the way, they found normal civilian mix with the surrendered opponents. They grouped them together and divided some armed men to lead them out.

Later forward with this big group, it is and easy win like smacking a small fly out of the way until the boss room. A man fired shotgun buckshots to destroy door latch before charging in; the entire illegal platoon stood at ready to shoot the big boss of Avocet.

"How come it end like this?" Amy Granderson, the originator of everything, disappointed with the turn of event.

As if fate saw she does not suffer enough, the loud announcement from the outside came as the final greatest mockery she ever received in life.

"Attention, people of Baltimore. USS Nathan James is back under the control of her crew. This ship is now engaging in the fight to free Baltimore and spread the cure of the red flu to all citizens. **This message goes out to Amy Granderson and all those loyal to her. Nathan James has been liberated and has joined the fight against you. We demand your immediate surrender. Lay down your arms Or be subject to the full force of the United States Navy**."

"Serve you right, you god damn hag." Wichita scoffed at the loser, her finger is trembling angrily against her strongest mental order not to shoot on sight.

"You heard my XO. We've taken back our ship, this building is ours, and everybody in Baltimore knows that your killing zone at Olympia is out of business. You have two choices a trial or a funeral."

"Hey! Let me make correction. We'll just let you say any last worlds then straight to the funeral." Wichita's bloodlust was very strong not to notice when she protested against the US captain given options.

"You shoudn't be worry about it, either way her death sentence is guaranteed. Why you care about just a matter of her longer remaining time before pass away?" Unexpectedly, Verniy brought up a Baretta 92sb and pointed to Wichita which made her flinch.

Chandler and most of the people were also flinch. However, Thorwal had no interest in this play. He kept focus on the cornered commander.

"You've been offered the chance. So, surrender with honor, that's my advice as your former man."

Aside from his resistance group, Nathan James' boarders and Wichita were stunned at the revelation.

"And WHO will judge me? YOU?" Granderson was strongly affected; in her eyes, it was not just anger, it had sadness mix with resentment and disappointment. The truth was Andrew Thorwal is once a cop under her command, the beginning of the betrayal was the different opinion about the truth behind Olympia.

Arashio's guess was the most accurate about the plan to dispose of the infected that had no cure at the time. In fact, additional usefulness of the tons of corpse had been using as fuel along with anything that flammable for coal power plant to generate electricity which was important to run the civilization.

Thorwal was not agreeing with the plan, his objection was not effective at all. That was why he starts his rebellion and did everything to prevent sick people from falling into this trap. Yet he could do so much with little staff at his disposal.

"Not me, A Jury of your peers." He answered, at least he had respect for her until the end in his own way.

" **YOU ALL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING**. The virus was spreading; there was panic, only I remained calm and stood firm. There was no plan, I built this alone-" Her voice began to crack

" **So you get to decide who lives and who dies?!** " This time, Tom Chander burst out his frustration.

"I'm the reason why the uninfected survive this long!"

"You're still going on about that? **Then, how about why you rob my ship for the cure?** " Tom knew that it likely pointless to drag on about how wrong she handle the situation in his point of view, because she believed fully that she was right. He changed the subject that she cannot deny the wrongness.

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.

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"That…that is….I 'm not sure you will be willing under my command. Now it's a proof I'm right, you're not different than this guy over here, talking about righteousness without thinking of the bigger pictures-"

 **Click**

!

Sudden sound of pull-back cock froze up the area.

 _ **BOOM!**_

In this closed space, the sound of .44 Magnum powder burst was too much for bare ears to handle, they instantly got sudden-hearing-loss.

The horror was not stop there.

Red liquild splashed out behind Mrs. Granderson in a flash before she dropped down on her table; blood streaming non-stop from a fresh hole on her forehead.

The blonde shooter sighed, she could not stand this woman any longer, her reasoning sounded very toxic to her eyes. The more she listened, the more migraine she got. She turned off the speaker permanently for the greater good (for her own good, mainly).

" _ **NOOOOOOOOO!**_ " The mind-break screaming of Dr. Scott had awaken everyone from the frozen state. The Avocet's Mastermind didn't have to wait for her sentence, it was served cold by a stranger avenger. Wichita's achievement was complete at the cost of getting herself into another mess.

* * *

The sun rose again. It should be refreshing to start a new morning, but USS Nathan James personnel hadn't given that luxury in the slightest.

" _ **WHAT THE FUCK!?**_ "

Mike couldn't believe his ears.

"Yeah, I know it's kinda fucking depressing, but that it is."

The captain just finished telling his friend of what happened in Baltimore inside the ship small multipurpose room. The vessel stationed in the port with Arashio and Wichita. Outside, the crew did their respective things: refuel, re-supply, interior and exterior cleaning and maintenance, and etc. Some free crews were assigned to keep watching over the surrendered ex-state troopers. His family lived in his private cabin for now.

Mike and Tom thought hard for the next action they should take; Arashio and Verniy sat on both flank of handcuffed Wichita, Dr. Scott and Quincy eyed the sailors expectedly.

"So, what's next?" A woman, who has nothing to do with military, broke the silence. She backed to normal after the live-kill event.

"We're thinking. We gave Thorwal all the vaccine we have, but it still insufficient for the whole area. How fast can you produce more, Doctor?"

"With little facilities we have, I'll say less than a hundred bottle per day given the maximum of daily donated blood from Verniy and Arashio. However, now we lack the important solutions and packages, so we're at pause until we find more."

"Hang on…..You said like blood of these two is part of the cure ingredient?" Question from the only defendant in the room.

"It's true." The cure inventor confirmed

"Ah-Ha. You needn't worry about the blood, It's possible that not only these two but the entire **Liberator** 's blood contain what you need." Wichita then winched at the mention of her race.

"How many Liberators do we have on the US Navy?" The captain has no sign of question about the keyword, he just pushed forward like he used to hear the term (which is the truth).

"A lot, I can't tell the exact number but we're scattered everywhere. Maybe, some of them is in the Japs' water now I can't tell. Hey Arashio, did you tell him about our kind?" When she finished answering Tom, she twisted her face to ask Arashio with displeasure and uncomfortable face.

Arashio just about to answer but Verniy cut her off immediately.

"I'm the one who revealed this information." The smallest girl sudden intervene packed punch, the group got impact for some times.

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"Back to the topic at hand, where could we find more of your required material? All the labs we know of were hazardous now."

Rachel Scott was not able to reply, she was at dead end.

"Tom, we should take it slowy from here. We must prepare for the worst before approach inland-group, this Baltimore case cost us greatly!" Mike warned his friend, they lose crew lives because they had not expected this kind of event at their first home coming.

"Err..I don't want to interrupt. But…" Arashio observed everyone for their reaction. "Now that you settled on your soil and all, it's time I want the cure formula and samples to help my Japanese back home." She spoke assertively.

"Same goal with mine, Mother Russia awaits me." Verniy followed along as the Japanese destroyer opens a way to break off from the American. She tried to sound like a pure-blood Communist (Commy wanna be), but nobody gave a thing about it.

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"Understandable" Chandler nodded.

* * *

On vessel Arashio, the ship owner and a passenger were planning the best route back home on the bridge.

"How do we get to Japan with the shortest time; Suez canal or Panama canal?" They just sailed out of Baltimore, so they could adjust the route.

"I'll bet on the Panama, the fastest we touch the Pacific the better. I'm not comfortable around the sea here." Verniy advised.

"I'm not the only one then." The ship owner confirmed her hidden unrest.

"Say, we near Japan, where will you drop me off?" A passenger asked.

"The first place come to mind is Vladivostok naval base, or you want other place?"

"If you don't mind, I want to get my ship in the Arctic."

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Arashio thought carefully; going to the Arctic and back to Japan would likely take time around half-month at least even with full speed, which also delayed her on saving the Japanese (if there are still left uninfected).

"I can't do that. But hopefully, we meet our friends within the vast Pacific so may be I can pass the information to her to deliver. I don't want to delay the cure solution spreading on my home soil."

"Don't worry, I don't mind. Your choice." Verniy disappointed, but she behaved well. She was just a passenger after all.

"Plus" Arashio continued.

?

"One of my mounted gun needs repair. And...I'm beginning to get homesick as well." She lightly smiled while watching the horizon.

'I really miss Kobe'

* * *

Nathan James made her stand at Norfolk, her home base with the newest addition vessel: CAGN-45 Wichita, Nuclear powered Guided missile Heavy Cruiser. Luckily, there were survival Marines, Armies, and Navies lead by Lieutenant Damon there, so the setting base operation was easier with additional manpower. Everybody seemed to be happy that the work to spread the cure has great process; they gained more ingredients from local labs and factories, they increased production rate for vaccine, they have long-range airplane with pilots, their base was now a Fort far better than poor Avocet. They just waited for other survival in various parts of the US and the world to respond to their random call and the vaccine is good to go. However, one particular female was 100% not happy about this.

"One day, you'll suck me dry." Heavy cruiser owner groaned from a bed.

"You just overreact. Your blood has more material concentration than those 2 girls. With the same amount, I can make more than double. The amount I need daily from you is non-lethal, consider you recover much faster than normal human." Dr. Scott was very happy with how things process around here.

"Just think of it as partly atonement for what you've done to Ms. Granderson, Kangaroo court is UNACCEPTABLE in the United States of America. I will see you to Court Martial for this." Tom Chandler clearly showed his disapproval tone.

"Oh please! Save your wonderful dream for later. The USA right now is not any different with the Wild-West of Old." She was arguing back despite during blood transfusion process.

CO didn't say anything back, he just walked away.

"Hope he realize the truth I just say, otherwise he will mind break. Don't you agree, Doc?"

"Be quiet, I'm not in the mood for your chit-chat." Rachel Scott spoke while she was working on the new vaccine lot.

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Chandler hadn't gone too far from the room when he encountered Tex on the way.

"Hi, captain! I'm super free now. Do you have some sort of assignment for me?"

"Sadly, no…..hold on…..you might want to do a scout mission." CO got an idea at the end.

"That's great! Call me when you're ready then."

"I'll arrange the team, just wait."

They make a fort strong enough, so it should be the time to establish a proper zoning by enlarged occupied area staring with scouting. He want to separate military activity, civilian resident, and medical hub, his ship was too small now to be the center of everything.

* * *

"Eternal rest grants unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen."

The shooter finished her prayer for the dead she caused before her, .45 ACP fired cases had fallen around. The people she killed wasn't armed group or anything, they were sick civilian in fact. When she was sure no more survivor in the area, she retreated to her meeting point.

Her sister also came back from another explore.

"How is it, Lex? I got nobody." The shooter dropped the Tommy gun on the table.

"Same here. I think it's time we depart here." Lex dispatched the 60-round-magazine M16A2 on the same table.

"I disagree, sis. The capital city is the best base of operation we can get now." Sara disagreed.

"What can we do about thirties survivors? If we want to establish a new order, we need more men."

"That's not entirely correct. The quantity of civilians under our control can't compare with our liberators follower; we get Battleships, Heavy cruisers, Destroyers, and Submarines with us." She walked to her sister and touched the chest of the other with index finger.

"Not to mention two Nuclear powered Ballistic missile Carriers (CVBN): Lexington, and Saratoga."

"Besides, they will come to us once we broadcast a location of their only solace on the States." Sara moved back to add space for more convenience.

"If that's your decision, then I won't oppose anymore. By the way, I found many interesting things in the White House." Lexington smirked.

The files Lex handover to Saratoga contained many interesting things like Lex said: blue print of Schwerer Gustav, Feasibility study of Mars Asylum, Nuclear Fusion power plant, etc. However, the one to catch her interest was Secret operation of particular USS Nathan James.

"Sis, have you gone over this?" She raised that file.

"Oh..about that Destroyer? Yes." Lex's face urged Sara to voice another hidden question of hers.

"Do you think She survive?"

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"I'm sure She's still out there. But I'm not sure about the cure."

"Then we should set as many radio frequency as we can, who knows we might receive her call soon."

* * *

On a random cruise liner on the Pacific ocean near Japan main islands; now surrounded by many Destroyers with rising sun flags, she was boarded by a group of female teenager aged around 14-15 years old. They wore clothes in a similar fashion like some sort of (school) uniform: white short-sleeve shirt under the dark tone colour vest with different colour ribbons, bike short under the short skirt with the same colour as the vest, black half-finger-glove, black socks, and black sneakers. One of the catchiest thing about them was that some of them had unnatural hair colour.

Of course, they weren't on a (school) trip, Absolutely! Call them kid pirates should sound more convincing , from visible many lookalike AKMs, variants M1911, and tactical gears and riggings including portable radio (such rich pirate).

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

"No hope, Kagerou. No one alive on this ship."

"Roger that, everyone regroup at the front deck, over."

"Aye!"

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"This is the most ridiculous thing after I woke up. Japan is dead! And now Ocean is dead! What happen to this God damn world?!" Abusive language came from the orange hair girl: Arashi.

"Hey-hey, calm down, OK. There must be some people alive out there, it's too early to conclude anything." Kagerou smiled, she motivated other to have optimism. As the group's head, she must keep everyone's sanity in check.

"You're too optimistic, Kagerou." Her bun-pink-hair second-in-command stoically murmured. She seemed to be a light-machine-gunner in this unofficial squad from the attached bi-pod RPK with drum magazine she hold.

"I can't hear you, NuiNui. Say it again." Kagerou placed her palm behind an ear to signal body language.

"Nothing." The mentioned NuiNui, or officially Shiranui, coldly responded with mentally curse. 'I told you not to call me by that nickname, Damn it!'

"…" Kagerou glared emotionlessly at her. Then, her eyes flashed some mischief intent. Her right hand moved to the M1911 long slide at her waist, then slid the .45 ACP round on top of loaded magazine into the barrel.

Shiranui inwardly astounded because Kagerou just look at her through the long slide's iron sign. Every member panicked but they just sent questionable look at the leader.

 _ **Bang!**_

No matter how fast her sense was, she couldn't see the bullet travel. She felt no impact on any part of her body, just the wind disturbance at her shoulder resulted from supersonic trajectory.

Kagerou walked pass the frozen Shiranui, her focus was entirely on the spasmodic soon-to-die cockroach, its' body was destroyer from the overly power weapon. She shot it away from the deputy chief shoulder.

"Bull's eye! .HA!" She drew back her pistol.

"See Arashi! At least, something's still alive in this dead world!" A shooter shrug.

"Kagerou, that's not funny." Shiranui regained herself confident.

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"So, what's next?" Another stern character, Isokaze, made an enquiry.

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"For the time being, just go back to your ship. We will keep loose diamond formation. Wait for my order, dismiss."

Kagerou was the last one to left the ship. She considered something for a long time before 1 of her conventional torpedo was fired.

 _ **Kaboom!**_

As the ship had no armour, she quickly started breaking apart in half, the loud metal twisting and denting sound burst dangerously until she succumbed under the ocean.

"Is that necessary?" Radio message was sent by Shiranui.

"Not really…..but I've a feeling it should be done."

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The explosion of her fish attracted attention of a lone Nuclear powered Attack Submarine nearby. The sub was curious so she carefully climbed up the water to use periscope. What she saw ALARMED her.

"Shit! The Jap's here!."

* * *

For any vessel character which isn't available in Kantai Collection yet, I'll left the design to your imagination. In general, the Warship Girls counterpart design is quite good compare to Azur Lane which is too fancy.

Nowadays, there are many series of weapons with girls avatar: Kantai Collection, Warship Girls, Azur Lane, Girl Frontline, Upotte, etc. I don't know which one holds the Originality; but if I have to guess, my choice is Arpeggio of Blue Steel because it's older than Kantai Collection (which comes before many other mentioned series).


	10. Sisters

From now on, my update often take longer than usual because of personnel issue. Just let you know.

* * *

For USS Albacore, the experience she has for being within the kill zone of falling-down dept charges barrage was no laughing matter. In the past, 3 destroyers came for her blood by dropping 20+ dept charges. With the current situation, she'd likely receive more than double than before from more than 10 IJN destroyers. No matter which class they were, if she was spotted then her fate was sealed.

The SSN-218 urgently submerged, she slowly spin her turbine rotor. She feared that if she accelerated to her maximum velocity, those destroyers would notice her.

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Finally, she gained a greater distance away from the IJN ships. She sighed out of relieve, but she was careful enough to check her surrounding by passive sonar. A lone vessel was coming in fast, the underwater noise for spinning propeller was hard not to notice.

This situation was ideal to her, she was sure as hell that the above ship doesn't know she exist underwater. If she had to strike, she must do it now. However, was that ship her ally or her enemy?

'It's too risky to take a look now, I must identify her via propeller sound only.'

She cut off all her sense temporary to add extra concentration for faster processing to find the matching sound within mass database of all navies around the world, she started with the Axis' ships especially IJN from her paranoid.

The answer caused her to frown yet again.

'Another Japs! Pacific is really your playgro-'

 _ **BOOM!**_

She was thrown hard against her iron wall, she immediately saw many stars flashing around. She only knew she just got a hit right in front of her which suddenly floods the entire compartment with sea water. It was lucky enough she's still alive but she had to hold her longest breath to escape her own wreckage.

Her earlier murmur about Pacific is playground for the IJN was very very true. However, she forgot something important. It wasn't for only surface ship, but submarine likes her as well!

She swam out, but she couldn't go far as she saw another deadly fish closing in.

'God Dam-'

 _ **BOOM!**_

The Liberator might be tougher than human with healing factor but they weren't immortal. The bullet wounds that Arashio, Verniy, and Wichita received couldn't be compared to a torpedo hit in point-blank range. The fatality was on a whole different level.

As of today, the USS Albacore experienced death a second time, and this time by enemy submarine instead of mine. Should she be proud of this achievement?

The killer was seen at close range to her sinking wreck, which was astonishingly within a nautical mile. How careless of her to let enemy came this close?

"Too easy~" A comment from the silent hunter, her torpedo tubes were open, stand by ready to fire more.

* * *

Up to the sea surface, The explosion underneath push a column of water high into the air. Of cause, it put a Jap destroyer under alarm, she paused her propeller and focus on her sonar for anything dangerous.

There was a submarine emerging!?

She was more curious than astonish, because she knew the fact that no hostile sub will show herself within eyes reach of another surface ship, especially a submarine hunter like destroyer. This showed that the submarine herself was sure enough she won't be attacked on sight.

The rising sun paint job on her body indicated that she was an old comrade of the destroyer. Then, the girl got incoming transmission.

"Hi-Hi! You should pay attention more under the water, American sub's lurking around, you know?"

"You just shoot her to save me, isn't it?" Arashio connected the dot. Verniy backed at the bridge at that moment.

"You can say that, even I don't know her intention but an enemy vessel isn't a welcoming sight." The sub replied.

"Her intention?"

"Well, I chill out around here as usual under the water. Then, I pick up a faint sound of motional submarine which I roughly identify as Gato-class, she come to stop TOO CLOSE to me like she doesn't see me at all (Praise my camouflage skill!).

Then again, I notice you coming in fast and loud without zig-zag. When I'm sure you're IJN ship, I quietly adjust my firing position and fire 2 wire-guided torpedoes with 30 seconds interval. I fear she might fire at you but she hasn't done that."

"That's terrible, the American I met is hostile toward me at first, but we became acquaintance after we talked." Arashio refered to Wichita.

"Better safe than sorry, I'm sure not all the USS will forgive us easily."

This left bad taste in her mouth, but she couldn't do anything for the sunken submarine now anyway.

"By the way, who are you?" Arashio guessed she's one of the I-series.

"I'm I-58, sorry for not telling you earlier. And you?"

"Arashio….I-58, do you happen to know any IJN ship around here?"

"I think there's plenty, this area used to be our home turf after all. Why so you ask, to fine your sisters?"

"It's not that simple, you see…."

Arashio told I-58 her side of story from the beginning, I-58 was shocked from the given information, she isolated herself so there's no way she know what happen with the world.

"Wow! You're on the way to save our homeland. That's awesome!"

"I have to go now, what about you?"

"Count me in. You can go ahead without me, I'm slower than you."

Due to her none-cigar-shaped hull, I-58 speed when submerse was very slow. It'd be waste of time for speedy destroyer to wait for her.

"We'll keep in touch."

They exchanged their private channel before broke up.

"We actually forgot about the sub threat; I'll handle the sonar and anti-sub warfare if you don't mind." Verniy asked for permission from Arashio, she was ashamed of herself to forget about one of critical issue of navy battle as the one who's older than the ship owner.

"No, I don't mind. I assign you for your request, Verniy. You have control." Arashio just winked for the confirmation before she transferred some of the ship control to Verniy.

"I have control." Verniy saluted.

* * *

"Now, I know how much all of you like to carrying a load, but the truth is we could use a little help." Tom Chandler introduced 2 new team members: one male, one female.

"So I want to introduce you to two of our newest members. Both of these sailors were part of the Navy's special warfare joint operation training program in Norfolk when shit hit the fan months ago. They volunteer to join us on the mission."

He gestured to the male first.

"First, Senior Chief Taylor, Royal Australian Navy."

"You can call me Wolf." Wolf spoke with Australian accent; he seemed very open, friendly, and easy to get to know in a short time.

"He is the real deal; a diver, E.O.D. expert, and all- around operator." Nathan James' CO narrated how special he is. He hinted his subordinate not to underestimate the new recruited.

"And this is Lieutenant Ravit Bivas, Israeli defense forces…Expert diver and intelligence operator."

"Proud to join the team." (Israeli accent)

"Welcome aboard." Miller approached the new members first by shaking hands with both of them.

They spent some times greeting and introducing within a new reform team including Tex. They made new friends to feel welcome to maximize team dynamic.

"Captain, here you are…..Am I interrupting something?" Wichita, who was on a break, suddenly came in contact to the group.

"Nope…..What's up?"

"Your decision is silly."

"My decision about what?" Sudden attack from Wichita confused Tom rather than angry.

"About just sitting here and only waiting a call for help, I've so much time to rethink of your strategy so far, but I always get dump at this part." She stated her unpleasantly.

"Excuse me! Who are you, lady?" It was normal for Wolf and Ravit to not know her since she was forced to stay in the lap most of the time. Ravit's patient ran out faster than Wolf, she looked Wichita from head to toe and frown from her casual cloth, she didn't know who the blonde is but she considered her act and cloth to be disrespectful toward the highest authority of this ship.

"I can say the same to you. Tom, explain will you?" Wichita was in a similar situation, she barely remembered all Nathan James' crew face. The distinct uniform of them help her much to separate them from the usual James' crew.

"Ah..I forget. Ravit, Wolf, meet Wichita, the Captain of the bigger ship near us, USS Wichita." Tom shortly introduced her.

'What the heck with that lazy ass introduction?!' She didn't outright shouting in return, but her eyes showed it all.

"Apologize, Ma'am!" Ravit quickly apologized. Sure, Wichita's attire backed Ravit's earlier point (It raise question), but she already offended a superior which was another more serious point.

"Apology accepted. Let me formally introduce myself; I'm Wichita, the Commander of the USS Wichita." She didn't bother about the new joint sailor anymore. "As I said, I think we should give random call to check for any survivors. It'll be quicker this way." She didn't beat around the bush, she avoids being asked for her technical details by subject-change.

"Didn't you hear the XO protest?" Chandler said on behalf of his XO who's on the bridge.

"I heard him, but we must make a gamble otherwise we can't achieve anything. No risk no reward."

"I know that, but we're doing fine now. No need to rush." It wasn't like the Nathan James' CO hasn't thought about this, but the risk was too high. As far as he knew, his ship could be the only ship on USN active duty (Minus Wichita). He once nearly lost his ship in Baltimore, he wouldn't repeat it again.

"Really? Don't you feel anything about our States situation? Huh." Her tone got more aggressive.

'It's in disarray, of course. What's your point?' Chandler thought loudly that anyone can predict 70%-80% of what he thought.

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"Look, what if another country can recover faster than us and take advantage from us? Like Russia and Japan, you just dismissed a Japanese Captain girl and the little Russian Fleet Admiral."

"Hold on a second." Tex, along with the original crew, got an insecure feeling that Wichita felt. He handed up.

The interruption might be rude, but Chandler was familiar with Tex's character so he let it slid. Tex could add something he's missing.

"You speak like they'll come back to bite us behind our back. I've a gut feeling they aren't that type!"

For old soldier, gut feeling wasn't something to be ignored entirely. After the vote of confidence from the mercenary, Wichita burst out laughing.

"Yeah! I've the feeling. But those brats are just destroyers at the end of the day, their opinion weight less than Cruisers, Battleships, or Carrier. Unless, they're flagship which is not likely the case."

From the way she spoke, a fraction of her mind was still cautious of her old time enemy. Truthfully, either Wichita, Verniy, Arashio, or other liberators still suspected of each other dark-side even though they knew all the details of each other history. You couldn't fault them; history mean only ship service record and Log journey after all, it was unable to tell who really they are and their characters.

Chandler was surprised to hear this thoughtful from Wichita, it conflicted with her brass image.

"Pardon, Ma'am" Her statement confused the newcomers.

"Hmm?"

"I'm confused. The persons you're referring to, why are you using ship class instead of rank?" Wolf asked.

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Wichita sighed frustratingly. No matter what, the fact about secret weapon project must be made public, mustn't it?

"Man…..There's a reason for it. Let exercise your brain for a bit, alright! Have you wonder why I coincidently have the same name as my ship? The modified vintage design I have? And, why my ship is dead silent without the crew like a ghost ship?" She counted her fingers as the points goes on.

Now, she got attention of the whole room. Thus, she began disclosing one of the Co-government secret project (which doesn't seem to be secret now, thanks to someone disclosing it before and her mistake just now) to the present crew.

* * *

Kobe, one of Japan main port and heavy industry area since her time, was now lifeless as Baltimore as she had seen upon arriving. She looked sad upon the city that used to be her birth place.

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However?

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!

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Something stood out livelier from the dead background here, 2 large flat deck warships berth at the deep water zone. This suddenly washed away her sadness as she instinctively knew them to be standard carrier (from the old day).

Verniy came out off the cabin, she stood next to Arashio on the ship bow. The taller girl looked happy while the shorter girl still had deadpan face. They came close to the two carriers to see a pair of 2 female adults in modified Shinto shrine maiden uniform, and they had been fishing(?). The mock up fishermen talked with each other briefly before they finished their fishery, and one of them beckoned smilingly at the two girls aboard the destroyer to meet them on the larger ship. They disappeared behind a higher deck after they threw a thick cable over Arashio.

The two girls were looking at each other for opinion; when there was none, the brown hair girl anchored then tied the cable with her ship rail.

* * *

Tom instructed his COMMO to randomly call on varieties of frequency as Wichita suggested, they didn't have to wait that long before they got respond. The responder was female, the connected time was short but the COMMO got all the information they required, one of it was the contact originate from Washington D.C.

After that, Nathan James Key-men and Wichita had a conference immediately for the contact from the DC.

"Now, I want to conclude what we got in short. Half an hour ago, COMMO got respond from their random radio broadcast. The other side contacted from within Washington D.C. She is Sara, a sailor like us. There are some civilian under their protection.

For the operation, we'll split into small five teams. I'll lead one of the onshore team to make contact, other two teams will cover the back and support us from behind, the rest will observe from afar. We learnt a fatal lesson in Baltimore with Mrs. Granderson so I must insist you all to pay extra attention. Nathan James and Wichita will come as close as naval gun range, I don't want the history to repeat itself. Newcomers stay behind, dismiss."

"Aye,sir"

Then, he shortly explained what happened in Baltimore to the new pair. Not so shock, though they looked more determined to complete the mission with zero casualty.

* * *

On the massive flat deck with various size of VLS covers of the aircraft-carrier-based vessel, presented a Japanese style meeting between 2 pairs of women and girls. The hospitality of the host was decent from Green tea and some snacks like Mochi and Daifuku. The sea breeze was comfortable enough for cooling them despite sunny day. Arashio, Verniy, and the light-grey-green hair woman were sitting in seiza position (much to slight displeassure of Ex-Hibiki). Only white hair woman sat cross-legged, was this to show who the big shot around here or she just has difficulty in seiza?

"Firstly, would you mind introducing yourselves? Please forgive my ignorance, but IJN has too many destroyers that I can't remember all of them."

If considered from fact side, her word was true and valid. From IJN era, the number of capital ships was countable, in contrast to countless disposable destroyers. However, it could be a form of polite power abuse to the listener. Their class was as clear as day, the look-like-standard-carrier owner tried to sound assertive which she didn't know it was a bit aggressive to two destroyers.

"I wouldn't mind, I'm Arashio, Forth of Asashio-class Nuclear powered Guided missile Destroyer (DDGN), Ms. Akagi." She assumed that the lady before her, who emitted faint aura of authority, is the famous Akagi from the past 1st Carrier Division.

The questioner giggled immediately while another one beside her was scowling hard.

"Good guess, girl. But I'm just Akagi's junior, I'm Shoukaku, lead ship of Shoukaku-class Nuclear powered Balistic missile Carriers (CVBN). Here is my only sister, Zuikaku."

Arashio hit too far off the mark; Shoukaku used to be in 5th Carrier Division which is the last group, she also remembered that they have bad blood between 1st and 5th division. She facepalmed inside, cursed herself for causing displeasure to the host at the start of the meeting.

"Don't worry about it, please continue the introduction." Shoukaku gestured to Verniy.

"I'm Verniy, turned-over Hibiki destroyer to the USSR as a war prize." Stoic Verniy introduced, Arashio noted why she mentioned her old name because she said it is a sore spot for her. Or she didn't want anybody to mention about her part except herself?

"Wow, you're actually that Phoenix! Nice to meet you." Zuikaku mood turned 180 degrees.

"Ms. Shoukaku, Ms. Zuiakaku, I would like you to help me to restore Japan."

?

Their face told her they just hear something ridiculous.

"What?" Zuikaku had no clue.

"Now, the world faces the pandemic which it has never ever faced before, I rushed from the United States with the sample solution to solve this crisis." The destroyer girl said.

"No wonder why we see dead everywhere. But why the heck have you gone to America?" Zuikaku connected the dots, she and her sister stationed here for sometime so they checked everything in this area. The mentioned about Arashio just come back from America, the Empire's old adversary, made her twitch.

Shoukaku calmed her sister by restraining her shoulder, she was far more collective.

"Tell us the whole story, Arashio. I'm willing to listen."

'How many times must I have to repeat the same story?' The Asashio-class destroyer was beginning to feel bored of repeating her tale from the beginning, and each time she repeated it would be longer and longer. Yet here she was, beginning to explain her journey once again since she encountered Nathan James destroyer until she collected the cure sample and returned home.

'I should really find a recorder along the way before coming back to Japan.'

* * *

Not so surprise to anyone, the meeting point was none other than the White House, one of the Icons in this Central Government State.

Except one in particular...

"I can't believe we have a meeting at the White House!" Tex shouted excitingly, his voice was loud so his team leader glanced back sharply.

"Tex, we're on an important mission now. Keep your excitement for another time." Caution from Tom.

"Ok..OK…Sorry."

Red hair lady who wore some kind of uniform was out to welcome them with slung Thompson.

"Hi, are you from Nathan James?"

"Yes, we are. I'm the CO: Thomas William Chandler. Just call me Tom."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Sara."

They shook hands.

"No family name?"

Sara was vividly a bit bother but she still smiled.

"It's personnel. Come, let's talk inside."

After Tom advised the following teams, his team followed Sara inside.

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.

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The meeting was held at the modified living room, there was someone who sit next to Sara, she seemed to be one of an important figure too.

"Hello, I'm Lex, Sara's sister. Nice to meet you all."

"Sara said she's from Navy, are you the same, Miss Lex?" Tom started mild interrogation. Lex and Sara dressed themselves casually, like they were cosplayer in some comic event.

"Exactly! It's good to see fellow sailor in this apocalypse. Are you the one in charge?" Lex looked truly appreciated for what she said.

"That's correct. I'm CO of USS Nathan James, Tom Chandler. Can you two tell me your rank?"

If the women were unpleasant with how Tom shaped up the conversation, they did a great job hiding it. Sara gestured to her sister to go first; Lex pointed at herself, Sara pushed on by smiling and nodding.

'How should I put this?'

"I'm the CO of the USS Lexington; if you want to ask where my ship is, she's afloat some distance away from here."

'Lex as shortened from Lexington? I highly doubt she and Sara are Liberator judging from outstanding figure and garment. Let see.' Nathan James' CO began to get bore of this exposed secret.

"Let me guess. You two owned an aircraft carrier each, which the carrier has no crew besides you, you also can command ship as fast as you think. The name you have which appear to be the same name with the ship: USS Lexington and USS Saratoga, is not a coincident. **YOU ARE THE SHIP**."

It was as if they saw a ghost. Their face got pale suddenly, anxiety reaching its' maximum now.

"Wh…What are you mumbling about?" Sara tried to act brave though the lost confidence didn't completely return.

"Let's talk openly Liberator, we know your existence a while ago. We made contact with some of your kind so far: Arashio, Verniy, Sendai, Jintsu, and Wichita. This secret project isn't a secret anymore." Tom spoke.

.

.

.

.

Chandler regretted he made that move. He miscalculated that they might be more friendly like Wichita since they are the US Navy. The killing aura was beginning to leak from the sisters. Their face became neutral, their eyes couldn't betray their inner killing intent however. Sara and Lex had heavy inner struggle.

 **Should they get rid of him because they know their secret or not?**

* * *

At the moment this chapter is published, Lexington hasn't been entered Kantai Collection yet. Lexington in Warship Girls is nice for normal form and remodeled form (+ bridge form :D). Thus, I left Lex form in this fiction to your imagination. Overall Saratoga's design for Kancolle is well done, the only unnecessary thing is the small smoke pipe on her head. It make her look weird.

The Last Ship last season has been aired, but I've got no time to watch. It's a shame really.


End file.
